Think Twice
by degrassichick
Summary: [sequel to Out of the Blue] 'When all is said, and done, and dead does he love you the way that I do...' Casey's engaged, and it's not to Derek. How far will Derek go to make that change? COMPLETE!
1. A Wilder Conversation

**Hey everyone!****I am SO sorry for never updating my other story. I had a huge lack of inspiration for it, and I am insanely sorry for that! But, this is a sequel to Out of the Blue, so I hope you guys like it!****There are at least two other stories out there **_**sort of**_** like this, but I definitely tried to change it up. ****So, I hope you like it!****R&R and please, no flames!****Lotsa love, degrassichick****-♥-**  
**Chapter 1**  
**-♥-**  
_"You're unbelievable." I say, my voice shaky._

_"Casey, I can't believe that you-"_

_I hold my hand in front of his face, "No. Don't look at me like I'm crazy, don't you dare!"_

_Derek latches onto my arm, his brown eyes holding a desperate expression, "Casey-"_

_"I saw you with her." I mutter darkly._

_"Case, babe, please..." Derek murmurs, something he hardly ever does._

_"In _your_ bed, in _your _room, under the same roof that you and I have shared over the past three years."_

_"It was your idea to keep this whole thing quiet!" Derek exclaims, dropping my arm; his mood changing swiftly. "What? Did you seriously think our parents would think that I wasn't dating at all for the past year to focus on my studies or something? Let's be realistic here, Casey. I am damn lucky to have even gotten accepted into a university. There was no chance in hell that our parents would believe that I was just _that_ focused on school that I would have called off dating."_

_"So, what?" I yell, "You had to prove to the world that you're still _the_ Derek Venturi?!"_

_"Casey-" Derek interjects._

_"No. I'm not finished! You didn't prove anything to the world, Derek. You simply proved to _me_ that I'm clearly dating a guy who I apparently can't trust!"_

_"You should be able to trust me, Casey." Derek says, lowering his voice._

_"Well, clearly I can't." I spit. "You were kissing her, Derek. In _private_. Nobody was in your bedroom observing, Derek. Not George, and not my mother. _Nobody_ was in there that you had to prove anything to." The tears fill up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks._

_Derek, on reflex, reaches his hands out to wipe the tears from my eyes, but I push them away. _

_"Thank God we're not going to the same University." I snidely remark._

_Derek's eyes soften, and then widen, "Casey, what the hell are you talking about? We agreed to stay together, even if I'm in Toronto and you're at Georgetown."_

_I shake my head at him slowly in disdain, "No. You see, that would only work if we were actually together."_

_The words fall from my lips and I almost want to scoop them all up and shove them back in, swallow them, and rewind this entire conversation. But life doesn't play out like that, ever; no matter how badly you wish that it would. My brain can't even form words, so I just stand there, with my hurtful words slowly seeping into his body._

_Derek tries to toughen up his expression, keeping his face strong, "So, I guess we're over, then."_

_I nod, my jaw clenched, "Yeah, I guess so." I say before turning on my heel and stalking out of his bedroom, the door slamming shut behind me._

_I keep myself poised as best as I can; remaining in that stature until I am inside my bedroom. _

_The moment the door shuts behind me is when I collapse onto my bed in a fit of tears._

_-♥-_

I shoot up quickly in my bed, running my hands through my hair as I breathe heavily.

This is the fourth time in the past three weeks that the flashback has filled my mind while I'm sleeping. How can something that actually happened haunt you in your sleep? Nightmares are just figment of your imagination. But this isn't in my imagination. It's true. It's a living, breathing nightmare.

"Casey, baby, are you alright?" a familiar voice asks, sending chills down my spine as he sits up in bed, wrapping his arm around my waist.

I sigh, nodding slowly, "Yeah. Everything's fine. I just...I can't sleep."

He gives me a small smile, kissing me on my temple, "Well, let's try, okay?" he gives me a sly smile, one that I know so well. "I don't want my bride-to-be to be stressing out and losing sleep over nothing two weeks before our wedding."

I nod, giving him a small smile as our foreheads press together and he gives me a soft kiss on the lips. His kisses have an _amazing_ way of calming me down, for reasons that are still unknown to me. "Okay." I whisper as we slowly fall back against the pillows.

He pulls the covers over us and kisses me on the forehead as our bodies mesh together like a perfect puzzle piece.

That's how I know that Andrew is the one for me. Derek's body _never_ meshed with mine. Ours together was like some kid had wanted to finish a puzzle so badly that he just pushed two pieces together that clearly didn't blend.

But everything about Andrew Wilder blends with me perfectly.

-¤-

"You've gotta be kidding me." I declare in disbelief. "Andrew _Wilder_? What kind of tool is named Andrew _Wilder_? I mean, seriously, _Wilder_? Does he write books about the prairie or something?"

"Oh my God." Lizzie says in shock, shaking her head at me slowly. "You are _pathetic_. It's no wonder you weren't invited to the wedding."

I drop the engraved invitation on the counter in front of me and glare over at my stepsister, "I wasn't invited because I'm the ex-boyfriend. It has nothing to do with me being a cynic."

She snorts, popping a potato chip into her mouth, "Uh huh."

"Ah, he found the invitation I see." an all-grown-up Edwin says, stepping into the kitchen and wrapping his arm around Lizzie's neck, bringing her head back against his chest as he kisses her temple.

They both graduated high school this past May, and were _still_ together. Dad and Nora found out that they were dating last year, when they caught them having just a little too much fun under the mistletoe.

Casey didn't bother to make an appearance last Christmas. Or at _any_ Christmases past our high school graduation for that matter. It's because of me, that is 150 obvious. She always tells our parents that she's swamped with work, or has a paper due, it's always_ some_ excuse.

This past Christmas, however, she was having Christmas at Andrew's house.

That was the first time I had ever heard of the amazing _Andrew_.

The rest of the family met him when they came up here to visit back in March. Dad kept hounding me for why I wouldn't make an appearance. It wasn't my fault that the Maple Leafs decided to have one of their biggest games of the season the day that Casey decided to show up. And it just so happened to turn out to be their worst game in the past three years.

See? Casey really is evil.

Lizzie smirks up at Edwin before glancing at me smugly, "He's been making fun of Andrew's last name for the past five minutes."

Edwin scoffs, "You're in _way_ over your head, man."

I narrow my eyes at him, "What do you know? You're 18."

Edwin rolls his eyes, "And you're 22. And yet I've been happier in the past _month _than you have in the past four _years_."

I roll my eyes, grabbing the invitation off the counter and read over the words scripted onto it one more time:

_Andrew Benjamin Wilder and Casey Natasha McDonald cordially invite you to join them in their time of happiness when they become man and wife. Please join in the ceremonial bliss on Saturday, June the Twelfth at six o'clock in the evening at Jovial Gardens in London, Ontario._

_Reception to be held at George and Nora Venturi's at eight o'clock that evening._

_Please RSVP by June 1st._

I scoff, shaking my head as I sit the invitation back down on the counter.

Edwin gives me a cocky smirk, one that he picked up from me.

I look over at him, narrowing my eyes, "What?"

"You're so jealous." he says, laughing as he rests his chin on Lizzie's shoulder, grinning.

"Seriously," I mutter, grabbing a chip from the bowl in front of Lizzie and tossing it into my mouth, "what do you see in my brother?"

"Charm, wit, good looks, and a six-pack that most would kill for." Edwin answers for her, grinning proudly, but laughing.

"Yeah," I snort, "that's it." I say before walking out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Nora is on the phone when I step inside, her face lit up excitedly, "Oh, Casey. I'm so happy that you're coming home tomorrow! We're all so anxious to see Andrew again, the family just _loves_ him! And Derek will finally get to meet his new brother-in-law."

My body tenses, my stomach knotting up as I stop in my tracks and glance over at Nora as she carries on her conversation with Casey, oblivious to me.

"Casey, of course Derek is going to be at the wedding...Casey Natasha, he is_ family_, he wouldn't miss the wedding for the world. You're his sister, after all."

God, I wish she wouldn't refer to me as her brother.

-♥-

God, I wish my mother wouldn't refer to me as Derek's _sister_.

My body tenses as she carries on her lecture about why Derek must be at my wedding. I don't _want_ him at my wedding. I don't even want to have my wedding reception at the same house that we shared for over three years. I want absolutely nothing to do with him and I sure as hell don't want him there on the happiest day of my life.

There's a _reason_ it's called that, and with Derek there, it would certainly _not_ fulfill it's rightful purpose.

I can hear a male voice in the background. It's a _familiar_ voice. It's a voice that sends chills down my spinal cord.

"Hey, Nora. I'm going to head out." Derek says, his voice sounding rushed.

Those are the first words I've heard him speak since our conversation in his bedroom four years ago.

My phone drops to the floor.

"Casey?" Andrew asks, sitting up from where he is sitting on the couch and eyeing me confusingly, "Are you alright, baby?"

"Casey?" my mother's voice asks from the phone, "What's wrong? Honey, are you there?"

I pick up the phone quickly, "Hey Mom..."

"Are you alright, sweetie?" she asks me, concerned.

"Yeah." I say quickly, reassuringly, "Everything's great."

Liar.

-¤-

**So what do you think? **

**Again, I am so sorry about my lack of updating on my other story, but this idea just popped out at me and I kind of figured it would get more of a response than Life WithOUT Derek did...which, I promise to update if my inspiration for it ever returns. But this idea just came to me today and I PROMISE to actually finish it.**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**Lotsa love, degrassichick :)**


	2. Leaving Him Hanging

**Hey everyone! **

**Aww…thanks for the reviews! You guys always make me smile :)**

**Anyways, for anybody who was asking about the podcast (since people have been asking on reviews for Out of the Blue), it will be airing in September on iTunes and the Family channel website.**

**I **_**would**_** tell you who the prevailing couple at the very end of this story will be…but, what would be the fun in that? ;P**

**Guess you'll just have to keep reading…wink, wink**

**Without further adieu, here's Chapter 2! (Hey, that rhymed! I'm a poet and I didn't even know it! God, I'm corny. lmao)**

**-****¤-**

**Chapter 2**

**-¤-**

_Breathe, Derek. Breathe._ I tell myself as I sit at our staircase, staring down at my hands. Nora and George went out to pick up Casey and the beloved, oh-so-praised _Andrew _at the airport, leaving me here with Marti.

"Excited?" she asks me from where she is sitting on the couch in the living room. She turns towards me, wiggling her eyebrows and giving me an impish smile.

Marti has grown up to be one of the craziest, most adorable teenage girls I have_ ever_ seen. She has so many characteristics of me and Casey that you'd almost think she was our _daughter_, as opposed to our sister. She has my quirk, charm, and way with the opposite sex, and she has Casey's academic abilities, and powerful personality. And Marti's beautiful, just like our mother was. At the age of 14, she is at the top of her class, popularity wise_ and_ academically wise. She's gone out with as many boys within her eighth grade year that I had gone out with throughout my entire Jr. High career…is that sad or _what_?

I lean my head back and sigh, "Oh, yes. Definitely excited."

She shrugs, getting off of the couch and making her way towards the stairs, sitting beside me, "Andrew's a really cool guy, Derek. I think you'll like him."

I run my hands through my hair and shake my head at my little sister, "Trust me, I won't."

She rolls her eyes, "So juvenile."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, looking towards her in surprise.

"Nothing, nothing." She says, shaking her head. Her long, dark hair with blonde highlights flutters against her eyes, "Any plans to woo her?"

I guffaw, "_Woo_ her? She's engaged."

Marti scoffs at me, shooting me a 'do-you-think-I'm-an-idiot-?' expression, "As if that stopped you from sleeping with _Monica_, who was _married_."

My eyes widen and I snap my fingers towards her, "Hey. You said you would _never_ mention that."

She giggles, "Just making my point clear." She says as the familiar sound of the family SUV hitting the pavement of our driveway fills our house.

Marti grins at me, "Its game-time."

Shit. She's here.

-♥-

Shit, he's _in_ there.

I glance at the familiar house in front of me and my stomach tightens. Andrew is carrying on a conversation with my parents about something that happened at his job the other day, and all I can think about is my seeing my ex-boyfriend (AKA: stepbrother Derek) within a matter of moments.

I suck in a deep breath as George's SUV comes to a complete stop in our driveway. Andrew smiles at me and pecks me on the cheek, "The next few weeks are going to be the best ever." He says towards me, grinning happily.

As you can obviously see, he hasn't met Derek.

He then turns towards my parents, grinning his charming grin that wins the hearts of…basically everyone, "And I'm so happy that you two are going to be here to experience it all with us." He says, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

Mom smiles at him, turning to face him, "And we're happy that Casey has picked such a great guy to marry. It'll be great having you as a son-in-law."

Andrew smiles at her in return, "And it'll be great to have you as a mother-in-law."

Despite my nervousness of what is yet to come, I laugh slightly, lacing my fingers through Andrew's as I haul him out of the backseat of the SUV, "Okay, cornball. Help me get our bags."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Andrew says, saluting to me. His parents both served in the United States Marine Corps. His dad, a retired Marine, has to be one of the biggest hard asses I have ever met, but it's pretty incredible how powerful he and his wife, Andrew's mother, are.

I laugh and roll my eyes as George pops the trunk and comes back towards the trunk to help us get our things.

"It's okay, George. We can handle it." I say, shooting him a thankful smile.

He nods and smiles at me in return, "You got it."

He and my mom begin to head off towards the house. Andrew turns towards me as he hoists his duffle bag onto his shoulder and drops his suitcase down to the pavement, popping out the handle for it. "So, is the _infamous_ Derek just a mere thirty feet away?" he asks, smirking at me.

I freeze at the sound of his name, before slowly hoisting my pink duffle bag onto my shoulder. "Uh…yeah. He should be, I guess." I say slowly, nervously, as I pull down the door to the trunk and we make our way up the front walk.

"I've heard so many stories about him between your mom and George, it's insane. I've gotta meet this guy." Andrew says, laughing. We make our way towards the front door and he reaches his hand out towards the handle, beginning to pull it.

"Trust me, you're not missing out on much of anything." I say bitterly as he pulls open the door.

I suck in a deep breath as I am face to face with…

Marti.

-¤-

I have to be the biggest wimp on the planet Earth.

I _hid_ from my step-sister. I am _hiding_ from Casey. I am _locked_ in my _bedroom_ to avoid a run in with my ex-girlfriend.

Marti gave me the stupidest look as I jogged up the stairs towards my room, telling me that I'd have to face the music sooner or later.

I chose later; _way_ later. As in, "Dearest Casey, may you rest in peace while I throw this lily on your _gravestone_" later.

Not that I'm wishing her _dead_ or anything. I don't want her dead.

I hear a door open followed by a joyful, "Hey Marti!" and I recognize the voice instantly. It's Casey's voice, and it sounds just as cheerful and angelic as it always had. You know, it sounds like it did all those times when she _wasn't_ yelling at me.

My stomach knots up and my heart tightens as I fling myself on my back on my bed, staring up at my ceiling. Even my _bed_ was torture to be on. All it ever makes me think about is all the memories that I shared with Casey in this bed; from our first kiss on my bed to what happened after senior prom in this bed. God, I had been so mad at her for going to the prom with her friend Jacob that I couldn't even see straight. It didn't even matter that he wasn't into girls (if you catch my drift), and it didn't mater that we had both agreed to go with other people so that George and Nora wouldn't find out. I _hated_ seeing her dancing with him, it made my fists clench. But, what happened later on that night made up for everything that had gone on earlier that night (again, if you catch my drift).

"Hey Casey! Hey Andrew!" Marti said happily.

I heard a male voice then, laughing, "Hey Marti, how are you doing?"

It made my jaw clench as well as my fist. It was an unfamiliar voice. It was an unfamiliar voice that responded to the name _Andrew_. That could only mean one thing…

It meant that these next two weeks were going to _suck_.

-♥-

I am so relieved that Derek _isn't_ here! I spent the entire trip since when we arrived at the airport in Virginia to pulling into our driveway here in London fretting about seeing Derek. And he's not even here! (Thank God.)

"Well, I'll let you converse with the family, I'm going to go drop my bag off upstairs." I say towards Andrew.

He nods, kissing me on the cheek, "I'll see you in a little while."

I smile and make my way up the stairs.

"Miss you already!" he calls out as I am halfway up the staircase.

I grin, my heart fluttering.

Could he _be_ any more perfect?

I make my way past the closed doors of our familiar hallway, stopping for a moment at Derek's door. It's closed and has the same _KEEP OUT_ sign that it has had on it since we were fourteen. Even though he's not even here, the presence of the room still sends a chill down my spine.

"Snap out of it, Casey." I say to myself quietly before making my way towards my bedroom.

I smile as I enter my familiar bedroom. I haven't stepped foot in it since the day I left for college four years ago, but George and Mom didn't change it a bit.

I sit my duffle bag on my bed and sigh, stretching my arms over my head and closing my eyes, tilting my head back.

I plop down on my bed and glance around the room; a brief sadness washes upon me as I remember how I spent one of my last nights in this bedroom. I spent it sobbing into my pillows until the wee hours of the morning. Lizzie heard me and came in to see what was wrong, and I wound up spilling the entire story to her. I told her about Derek and _what's-her-face_ (who to this _day_ I still won't talk to…no matter how many times she tries to explain to me what was really happening), and how I had caught them together, and how Derek and I had gotten into a screaming match and broken up. And Lizzie held me for another good thirty minutes before I finally fell asleep. I woke up the next morning and packed for Georgetown, wanting to get out of the country as soon as possible.

Derek tried to contact me for almost a year after we had broken up, but I couldn't talk to him. I didn't even want to _think_ about him. But, I still did think about him. A lot.

I shake my head in disbelief about the thoughts that are running through my head about Derek and stand up, raking a hand through my long hair and letting out a sigh.

I pull down on my shirt and make my way out of my bedroom.

I put a smile on my face as I enter the hallway. I have nothing to be freaked out about. Derek isn't here, I have an amazing fiancé, and I'm about to get _married_. I have nothing to be frowning about.

That's when I see Derek's bedroom door open, and my heart stops.

-¤-

"It's show time." I whisper to myself, standing up from my bed. There is no way in hell that Derek Venturi is going to sit in his room in order to stay away from somebody, How much more immature can I _get_?

I make my way towards my door and begin to twist the knob, before pausing and making my way to the mirror to make sure I look okay. I run a hand through my hair and flash a grin towards the mirror. Yeah, this will show Casey what she's missing.

I return to the door and twist the knob, stepping out into the hallway. I hear a gasp and I turn around.

The moment I turn to face the suspect in question behind me, I almost want to turn around and walk back into my room.

…but I don't. I simply stand there and stare at my stepsister, my ex-girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" she says, breaking the little staring contest that we had going on.

I shoot her a blank expression, "I _live_ here?" I note dumbly.

"But you weren't supposed to be here." Casey says, shaking her head, "You _can't_ be here."

She isn't even looking at me, actually. She's staring at the ground, muttering to herself.

She looks just as beautiful as she did when we graduated, if not even _more_ beautiful. I stare at her body, from the top of her head to the flip flops on her feet. I always loved her body. I hate thinking what parts of it Andrew has touched…even more so what parts he _hasn't_ touched.

I straighten up and smirk at her, "Well, I'm here for the rest of the summer. Now, let's go meet this Andrew of yours!" I say and make my way down the stairs.

Casey growls (yes, _growls_) from behind me. "I swear to God, Derek. If you do anything so much as look at him incorrectly, I'll-"

"Oh, Casey. _Relax_." I say, turning to face her. "I'm not going to, you know, _shoot _him or anything." I gin at her.

Her lips purse at me and she crosses her arms over her chest, as she follows after me. She jams into my side as she pushes past me to get down the stairs.

"_Vicious_…" I murmur before following after her.

We make our way towards the bottom of the stairs, and I see a tall boy with dark blonde hair talking to my parents, laughing. His hair is short with the tips pointed up, and he has icy blue eyes. Just one look at the guy and I hate him.

"So, I told Phillip that if he simply added the formula onto the paper, that the score would go up." He explains to my dad, who is nodding enthusiastically, as if he actually _cares_ what this guy has to say.

"So, did he listen?" he asks.

Andrew pops his imaginary collar and grins, "He scored a 95 when he _would_ have gotten a 91."

Nora smiles at him proudly, as if he discovered the cure for morning breath or something. What the hell did they put in the water here that's making them seem so intrigued by this…Ivy League Einstein?

I clear my throat to draw the attention to the _attractive_ early-twenties boy in the room, and Andrew glances at me out of the corner of his eye, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

"You must be _Derek_!" he says excitedly.

I lift an eyebrow at him. Did he _squeak_? I swear to God he squeaked.

I nod slowly, a flat-lined smile on my face, "The one and only."

He chuckles happily at me; his voice slightly resembling Goofy's from "The Goofy Movie". "Man, I have heard so much about you." He says, making his way over towards me and lifting his hand up in the air, it dangles above me, and I make no motion to smack mine against his. Seriously, who does that anymore?

"Wow." He says, laughing as he looks up at his hand. "I get it now. I'm literally _left_ hanging!"

You have _got_ to be kidding me. _This_ is my replacement?

I give him a sarcastic smile, "Nothing gets passed you, does it?"

He grins, "I didn't graduate at the top of my class two years ago for nothing."

Two _years_ ago? How old _is_ this guy?

"Graduate from…high school?" I ask, smirking towards Casey at the thought of her dating a "younger man". She returns my smirk with that of a death glare.

Oh, is it good to have her back.

"Law school." He corrects me, grinning towards my dad. "I'm planning on opening up my own law firm in Virginia."

No way. This guy is, like, 28.

He glances around at my family before smiling, "Well, I'm going to go bring my things up to the guest room."

"The guest room?" Marti spits out. I hadn't even noticed she was in here! But, low and behold, she is sitting on the couch.

Andrew nods at her stupidly, "Yes."

"We don't have a guest room." She fires back.

I scoff, "Well, I'm sure Lizzie and Edwin wouldn't mine sharing." I say, smirking.

"_Derek._" Dad and Nora fire at me in unison.

I roll my eyes, "If Andrew feels uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as Casey – and who could blame him? She snores like a _horse_- then why not let the man get what he wants?"

It'll make _me_ feel better, at least.

Casey narrows her eyes at me before latching at Andrew's arm as he grabs his luggage, "Come on, _babe_." She fires the word "babe" at me, while looking at me and glaring, before she and the fiancé head upstairs.

Dad places his arm on Nora's shoulder, smiling at her happily, "Casey picked a great match, don't you think?"

Nora smiles back at him approvingly, "I'm not sure Casey could have chosen a better match."

I snort and they both turn to stare at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Marti smirking, and I can hear the faint sound of her giggling softly.

They make their way towards the kitchen and Marti hops up from the couch, making her way towards me and smiling devilishly.

This girl is truly conforming into a mini-me…a _female_ mini-me.

"What are _you_ smiling about?" I ask, glancing down at her.

She crosses her arms over her chest, smiling, "Any ideas on how to make her yours?"

I scoff, "Marti, I don't _want_ to make her mine."

She shrugs, "But, you don't want her to be _his_ do you?"

I jerk my thumb back towards the stairs, "Did you _see_ that clown? I wouldn't want him to be _anybody's_ who wasn't missing had part of their brain removed."

Marti giggles, "Well, I'm sure you'll think of something." She walks away from me, and in a sing-song voice replies, "You always do."

It is when I check my voicemail that I realize just_ what_ it is that I'll do.

-¤-

**Dun, dun, dun! **

**So…what did you think?**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios.**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	3. Who's Amy?

**Hey you guys! Thanks so much for the comments, you guys rock!**

**Sorry that this update is a little bit later than the other two, I was out of town in Wyoming for the past few days.**

**The next few updates may be a little slower, however. My dad just got offered this new job (in Wyoming) and we're supposed to be moving up there sometime next week or so. And then they changed the plans and his boss wanted him to manage another location closer to where we live right now (which makes **me** happy because then I'd get to be closer to my friends) and so now we basically have no idea where we're moving and I've been really stressed out and my mind has been somewhere else.**

**But, I will be updating regularly. I promise!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 3**

**-**♥-

"Wow, that Derek seems like a really cool guy." Andrew laughs, running a hand through his short hair.

I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief. "You have to be kidding me."

"Well, it makes sense that you wouldn't get along with him very well. I mean, you two are siblings after all." Andrew carries on, sitting down on my bed.

_Step-siblings…_I mutter to myself.

"But, I think that Derek and I will develop a special bond." Andrew says, nodding his head slowly.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, good luck with that." I mutter.

"Well, something's crawled up you and died." He says, laughing. He stands up and wraps his arms around my waist from behind, kissing the back of my neck. "Everything okay?"

I smile against him, "Everything's perfect." I say slowly.

And so long as Andrew is in the picture, it always will be.

-¤-

They are literally _pawing_ at each other all throughout dinner. We are all sitting in a restaurant in downtown London. I am sitting across from Andrew, who has his arm slung casually over her shoulder while she has her lips pressed against his cheek.

Okay, so it's not _pawing_, exactly. But I don't like it…whatever it is.

Marti kicks me from under the table, it is then that I realize that I am staring…_glaring_, actually.

"So, Andrew…" my dad starts, glancing over towards him, "Are you excited about opening up your law firm?"

Andrew basically shoves Casey off of him and nods agreeably, "Yes, sir; definitely. I'm so excited to get it up on its feet and running."

Casey smiles at him proudly before glancing over towards me and glaring.

I roll my eyes at her before glancing down at my plate in front of me. Just then, my phone vibrates in my pocket, signaling that I have a new voice mail.

I reach into my pocket and glance down at it, seeing my best friend's name pop up. I look over towards my family, "I'll be right back." I say before standing up from the table and making my way towards the lobby of the restaurant.

I step out into the breezy air and dial my voicemail.

"_You have _**one**_unheard message. __**First**__unheard message."_ The familiar operator's voice says to me before being replaced by a much peppier, much more familiar voice.

"Derek! It's Amy! So, I'm bored and Daniel is out for a week or so at some lame-ass hockey thing…honestly, what do you guys see in that sport? Guys hitting one another with sticks and slamming each other into walls…seriously, what the hell?" I laugh at Amy's pathetic description of hockey; she's never fully understood the game. "Anyways, I decided that I would head up to London and hang out with you for a few days. I already have hotel reservations and everything, so there's no escaping me. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! I land tomorrow at noon at London International, so don't be late. Love ya…bye." She laughs, before hanging up.

I roll my eyes and delete the message before dropping my phone back into my pocket and making my way back into the restaurant.

-♥-

Derek returns to our table, sticking his phone in his pocket and chuckling.

"Who was the call from?" George asks as Derek sits down and glances up at me quickly. I glare in return and his gaze moves to George.

"It was Amy." He says easily.

_Amy_? Who's _Amy_?

Mom smiles happily, "I love Amy! How is she?"

Derek nods, smirking, "She's doing pretty well, I think. She still couldn't understand hockey if it were to save her life, but other than that…" he laughs, and so does the rest of the table; except for Andrew and I.

I feel _so_ out of the loop. Seriously, who's Amy?

"You should really bring her around more often, Derek. She was such a blast to have at Marti's birthday." Edwin says, smiling.

Who _is_ this girl?

Marti nods happily, laughing. "I seriously never thought anybody could scarf down more cake than I could. But low and behold, Amy did."

"Seriously." Lizzie laughs, "Who would have thought that a girl as tiny as Amy could ever eat that much cake?"

WHO THE HELL IS AMY?

Mom laughs, "So, did she say anything important?" she asks, smiling towards Derek.

Derek smirks, "Actually, she's heading up here tomorrow. I'm picking her up at the airport at noon."

"Great!" George beams, "It'll be really great to have her around again. She's so funny."

Oh my God, who is she?

Mom grins towards me, "Case, honey, you are going to _love_ Amy. She's a really great girl."

I give her a tight smile, "I'm sure." I lie.

She's Derek's new girlfriend, how great can she be?

-¤-

The look on Casey's face during dinner was _priceless_! I've never seen a person look so confused during a conversation. She clearly has no idea who Amy is, but I think I have a pretty good idea of who she _thinks_ Amy is…

My girlfriend.

I am almost _positive_ that Casey thinks that Amy is my girlfriend.

Not that I can necessarily _blame_ her for thinking that. I mean, with the way the whole family was praising her at dinner tonight, it almost made it come off like she was my _wife_ or something!

Which she's not. Obviously.

She's actually one of the first few girls to approach me and not hit on me. That was when I found out that she was my good friend Daniel's girlfriend. We developed a certain "bond" since Daniel was always out at hockey events and try outs for national leagues and whatnot, since he was the star player on our college team. She slowly became my best friend and I can talk to her about more things than I can even talk to _Sam_ about. She knows everything about Casey, and the bet, and what happened the night that Casey and I broke up. Seriously, it's some heavy stuff that I talk to her about, and she understands all of it and doesn't judge me for it.

She chose me to be the best man at her and Daniel's wedding before Daniel could even _choose_. During the entire wedding reception, she walked around referring to me as her 'maid of honor'.

_Guys _hit on me because of that, and I still haven't gotten around to properly "thanking" her just yet.

Just then, there is a tap at the door.

"Yeah." I say quickly, minimizing my computer screen where I had been checking out my MySpace page for comments.

"Hey." Marti says coolly, stepping into my bedroom with a smile on her face. She kicks the door shut behind her and walks over to where I am sitting at his computer desk, glancing down at his screen. "Ah…MySpace, I see?"

I shrug and turn to face her, "What's on your mind, Smarti?"

She rolls her eyes, laughing, "Not too much, _Smerek_." She says in return, dropping the name that almost sounds foreign on her lips.

She hasn't called me Smerek in what feels like years. Once she hit fourteen, she decided that the nicknames Smarti and Smerek were just a tad bit too immature for her.

But, luckily, from time to time, she still calls me Smerek.

"Liar." I say in return. "Seriously, what's going on?"

Marti smirks, "Casey looked pretty happy to hear about Amy at dinner tonight." She says, grinning triumphantly.

I laugh, "It _was_ pretty entertaining." I look at the vindictive smile on her face.

Seriously, behind that cute smile on her face and the twinkle in her eye, is a very demented child.

"What?" I ask confusingly.

She wiggles her eyebrows at me, "You know what you have to do…_right_?"

"Uh…wrong?" I ask. "What are you on about?"

"Casey _clearly_ thinks that you and Amy have something going on." She declares.

"And…?"

She smiles, "And Amy is coming up here _tomorrow_, and Casey is _completely_ oblivious as to who Amy is to you."

I shoot her a blank expression.

She slams her forehead into her palm, "Derek, Derek, Derek. Can you honestly tell me that you have no clue what I'm talking about?"

I sigh, "In a word…yes."

"Oh my God!" she exclaims. "Derek! Casey doesn't know who Amy truly is to you, you hate Casey's fiancé, you obviously want to make her change her mind about him, Amy is spending at _least_ a few days here, and I want you and Casey to get back together! Which part of this do you not get?"

Suddenly, everything Marti is hinting at hits me.

She really is evil.

Evil…and brilliant.

-♥-

"Who do you think Amy is to Derek?" I try to ask Andrew nonchalantly as I run a brush through my hair.

Andrew shrugs, "His girlfriend, I'm assuming. She's coming up here to spend a few days with him and your parents love him, she's probably his girlfriend."

_Great_.

"Yeah…that's what I figured." I say softly, almost disappointingly.

Andrew shoots me a puzzled expression, "Babe, are you alright?"

I shake my head, running a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry, I'm just really tired."

Andrew nods, "I'll let you get to bed then." He says, standing up and making his way towards me, pecking me on my temple. "I'm going to head into the living room, get myself situated."

Andrew decided that he was just going to sleep on our couch bed in the living room. I still don't get it. We share an apartment together; we sleep in the same bed all the time! And yet, he has some weird thing about sleeping with me in the bed that I've had since I was a teenager.

"You could always just stay in here…" I say suggestively, wiggling my eyebrows.

Andrew winces, "Sorry, it's just too weird for me."

My expression falls, and he clearly notices.

"No, no, no!" he says hurriedly. "Not like that! It's just awkward to share a room with you in your parents' house."

I shrug, "Okay. Whatever." I say, before laughing slightly.

Andrew smirks at me, kissing me softly on the lips, "All will be made up during the honeymoon. I promise." He whispers. "I love you." He says before making his way out of my bedroom. "Oh," I hear him say from the hallway, "goodnight, Marci."

"It's _Marti_." I hear Marti correct him, making me laugh.

"R-right. Sorry." He says bashfully.

I roll my eyes, chuckling to myself as Marti walks by my bedroom, leaning her head in, "Goodnight, Casey."

I give her a puzzled expression, "Going to bed so soon?"

She nods, "Yeah. I wanted to get some rest in before Amy comes tomorrow. Because when she gets here, there will be no more sleeping." She says, laughing.

"So, this Amy is a pretty great catch, I guess." I say slowly, looking down.

"Uh huh." Marti says, laughing. "She's great. We all love her. I'm sure you will too."

I nod slowly, giving her a weak smile, "I'm sure I will."

Marti nods, remaining quiet for a few moments before speaking up once more. "Well, goodnight, Casey."

I nod in return, smiling, "Night, Marti."

She disappears down the hallway and I turn to face my mirror, staring at myself angrily.

God, what has gotten into me?

-¤-

"Derek!" I hear the familiar squeal of Amy's voice as I wait for her in the airport.

She comes hurrying towards me, dropping her pink duffle bag on the floor as she attacks me into a hug, "I missed you, loser!" she says happily, squeezing me tightly.

I laugh, struggling for a breath as I hug her in return. "Oh, how I long for these moments when you cut off my circulation."

Amy giggles, breaking away from me and pecking me on the cheek, smiling. Her green eyes twinkling, and a strand of her short, strawberry blonde hair falling over her eyes. "Soooo…how are things?" she asks as she picks up her duffle bag and we make our way through the bustling airport.

"Casey's here." I say blandly.

"Ah," Amy notes, "the plot thickens."

"With a fiancé in tow." I finish.

Amy laughs, "Even more so!"

I laugh slightly, wrapping my arm around her waist, "I missed you, Ames."

She smirks against me, her 5'5" frame leaning against my 6", "I missed you too."

We walk in silence for a bit before I stop and turn to face her.

"Yes?" she asks with a laugh, glancing up at me.

I wince, giving her a confused grimace.

"What?" she asks confusingly, an anxious smile on her face.

"I have a task for you." I say slowly.

She nods her head at me warily, "Uh huh…"

"As you know, Casey has a fiancé."

"As you have mentioned." She replies.

"And you know that I'm still harboring feelings for her…" I continue.

She rolls her eyes, scoffing, "Obviously."

"Therefore, I need you to do something for me."

She combs a strand of hair behind her ear, "Okay. What?"

I sigh, gulping. "I need you to be my girlfriend."

-¤-

**Soooo…what do you think?**

**Once again, my apologies in advance for the length that will probably be between the next few updates! I will, however, try to get the next chapter up by the end of this week! I'm going to the cabins with my friends this weekend, so if I haven't updated by then, then it probably won't be until Tuesday of next week or so.**

**I hope you liked it!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	4. What Goes Around

**Hey readers!**

**Sorry this update is a tad-bit delayed…I got lazy. Lmao…but, I'm back and so is the next chapter of this story! I even started writing the third chapter to **_**Life WithOUT Derek**_**, but who knows what will happen with that?**

**Anyways, I got a PM from a reader saying that every time this story opens up, it comes up saying that it is an "Error" and that the "Page can't be displayed"…I'm not sure if that has happened with anybody else, but I know it has happened with me a few times as well. So I'm not sure what's wrong with that, and if it has happened to you, I apologize.**

**Anyways, without further adieu, here is Chapter 4.**

**Enjoy!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**-**_

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-♥-**

**Chapter 4**

**-¤-**

Amy slowly blinks her eyes at me in return; open, shut, open, shut, open, shut.

"Amy?" I ask confusingly, waving a hand over her green eyes.

"Derek…" she starts, slowly, giving me a puzzled expression, "there's this guy named _Daniel_, you may have heard of him. And we met a few years ago…and we dated…and he asked me to marry him."

Oh, God. She thinks I'm serious!

"No, no, Amy-" I start, but get cut off.

"You were my _maid-of-honor_!" she exclaims.

I roll my eyes, "Best man." I mutter under my breath.

She throws her hands up in the air, "Exactly! My maid-of-honor! So, I can't very well be dating you-"

I clamp a hand over her mouth while everybody with in a thirty foot range of where we are standing is staring at us.

"-wholl beebing mooried foo Duniel. Vat is adultoory, you-"

"Amy!" I exclaim, trying to make her stop talking to me in muffle-tone.

I drop my hand from her mouth and she glares at me angrily, scowling.

Amy doesn't do angry expressions well, actually. She kind of looks like Marti always did when she was six and didn't get her ice cream cone; completely harmless….like an angry kitten who can't catch the ball of yarn.

"Okay, you clearly don't get what I'm saying." I say, laughing nervously.

She rolls her eyes up towards the ceiling, "Ya think?"

I latch onto her wrist and pull her over towards a big glass window. There is a plane sitting outside of it, humming loudly. "I need you to_ pretend_ to be my girlfriend to make Casey jealous."

"So she'll get jealous and realize that she's really still in love with you…" she finishes for me.

I grin, "Exactly!"

Her lips purse together, like they always do whenever she's considering something. Slowly, a smile breaks out on her face. "I like the way you think, Venturi." She says, nodding approvingly.

A throw an arm around her shoulder proudly as we make our way onto the escalator, "So do I, Hunter. So do I."

-♥-

I am in my room when I hear Marti crying out joyfully.

"They're here! They're here!" she screams.

Andrew shoots me a puzzled look from where he is sitting at his laptop, "Who's here? Who's here?" he asks, mimicking Marti. He breaks out into a grin. God, do I love his smile. He has the most_ beautiful_ dimples I have ever seen.

"Derek and his girlfriend, I guess."

His eyes light up excitedly, "Derek has a girlfriend? Casey, we have to meet her!" he exclaims and gets up from where he is sitting at my desk hurriedly, and hurries out my door.

Why, oh, why is my fiancé so infatuated with my ex-boyfriend?

Not that Andrew _knows_ Derek is my ex or anything…or will _ever_ know, for that matter.

Our _parents_ don't even know we were together! It was shock enough when Lizzie called me over last Christmas break telling me that George and Nora had caught them together under the mistletoe. Lizzie said that they didn't yell at them, or anything. She simply said that they were surprised, but slightly expected it. And then they said (this is the _real_ kicker, here); "We're surprised nothing ever happened between Derek and Casey."

HA!

Lizzie didn't tell them anything, thank God, and neither did Edwin. The only people apart from them who knew about Derek and I were Marti, Sam, Emily, and Alan Jennings (who actually _told_ me I was in love with Derek while I went out on a date with him!).

Derek and I didn't even go to prom together, which was _horrible_.

That's enough of thinking about Derek! I've moved on and _obviously_ he has too.

"Casey, aren't you coming?" a familiar voice asks me.

I look up and find myself looking at Lizzie, who is leaning against my doorframe.

She continues, "Amy's here…don't you want to meet her?"

I roll my eyes, glancing down at my patchwork-styled bedspread, "Not so much, why would I?"

She scoffs, quirking an eyebrow at me, "Jealous, much?"

My eyes widen. Oh God, I _did_ sound jealous!

I shake my head quickly, "I'm not jealous, Liz. I just don't really want to meet another one of Derek's light-as-a-feather-headed girlfriend."

"Wow." Lizzie says, laughing. "That was a slam at yourself, even."

My eyes widen, "Don't say that so loud, Lizzie!" I hiss.

"Anyways," Lizzie says, combing a strand of her hair back behind her ear, "Amy's a really cool girl, you'd like her." She says before turning and coolly making her way down the hall.

_Amy's a really cool girl, you'd like her._ The words echo through my head in a cheesy sing-song voice for what feels like _hours_, but is really only a matter of moments.

"Face the music, Casey." I whisper to myself. "Face the music." I stand up from my bed and smooth down my cotton tee-shirt. I make my way out of my bedroom, down the hall, and start down the stairs.

I can already see Derek, he is laughing at something that Edwin said. He has his arm wrapped around a petite girl with strawberry blonde hair, a fair complexion, and light freckles sprinkled across her nose. She is laughing as well.

Just my luck; she's gorgeous.

-¤-

"Casey alert." Amy whispers coolly in my ear.

I shift my gaze towards Casey, who is making her way down the stairs. Her eyes are fixated on Amy's head, her eyes cold, and her lips pursed. I have seen this look _many_ times.

I smirk and bring Amy even closer towards me, whispering "sweet-nothings" in her ear.

Or, I'm really just whispering this, "Okay, I know this is going to seem weird and awkward for you, but as my best friend, _please_ just go along with this. Giggle."

Amy rolls her eyes, but giggles at the non-humorous remark that I just said anyways. "Oh, Derek." She says, swatting my chest with a flick of her hand.

That's when I notice the wedding band on her finger.

I can tell that Casey, from where she is standing beside Andrew, has noticed it as well.

"Baby, should we tell them the exciting news?" I say towards her quietly, but loud enough for the room to hear.

Amy gives me a puzzled expression, "Wh-what exciting news…h-honey?" she has to stop herself from cringing.

I grin, "Don't be so discreet." I say, chuckling. Amy looks as confused as ever, but I know that if I don't explain the ring, that the whole family is going to be talking and I'm going to come off looking like more of a jackass than I already do.

"What's the news, Derek?" Marti asks, playing along coyly.

"Yeah…" Edwin says confusingly. "And why did Amy just call you hon-OH!" Edwin is stopped mid-sentence by Marti slugging him in the stomach.

I wrap my fingers around Amy's slender wrist and lift her arm up, "Amy and I are getting married." I say happily.

"WHAT?" is apparently the word of the day; seeing as it drops from Dad, Nora, Edwin, Lizzie, and Casey's lips.

However, the word "congratulations!" is the one that falls from Andrew and Marti's.

Amy, on the other hand, is speechless…not that I can blame her.

We're not even dating and we're already engaged! That has to be a lot for a future college-senior to comprehend.

"Derek…" Dad says slowly, "can I talk to you in the kitchen for a moment?"

I nod. I already know what's coming as I follow him and Nora into the kitchen.

"What's up?" I ask, leaning against the counter.

"What are you and Amy trying to pull?" Nora asks confusingly. "Does Daniel know about this?"

I scoff, "Obviously. I couldn't just propose to her while they were still married. Amy realized that she really wanted her husband's best friend, _not_ her husband. I mean, it was an honest mistake. Compare me to Daniel and the obvious answer will always be-"

"Explain yourself." Dad cuts me off. "Now."

-♥-

Derek's engaged.

Derek Venturi is _engaged_.

My stepbrother is engaged.

My ex-_boyfriend_ is _engaged_!

I hear murmurs about somebody named "Daniel" floating between Lizzie and Edwin, while Marti has her arms crossed over her chest and she is smirking smugly. Amy's face looks paler than it already did when I came downstairs, but she attempts to keep a smile on her face.

"How great!" Andrew whispers in my ear, "_Two_ weddings!"

"Mmhmm." I agree tight-lipped in return, keeping my eyes fixed on Amy.

She looks up at me and gives me a soft smile. "You must be Casey." She says, stepping closer towards me.

"Uh huh," I say. "The one and only."

Amy nods, "I've heard a lot about you from Derek." She says, "You seem like a pretty cool person."

Andrew grins, wrapping his arm around me. "She's more than cool, she's amazing." He says, kissing me on the temple.

This reminds me why I'm supposed to be with Andrew instead of Derek. Andrew is a hopeless romantic. He's the type of guy who brings you chicken soup when you're sick, chocolates when you're sad, and flowers just because it's a Tuesday. He opens the door for you, always let's you order first when you go out to dinner even if he knows you well enough that he could order for you. The only thing we've ever fought about was pizza toppings and the only time he's ever made me cry was the night he proposed to me, and they were tears of happiness.

Derek is Andrew's _polar_ opposite. Sure, he made me soup when I was sick, and gave me hugs when I was sad. But, flowers? I never got flowers from Derek. The only time I ever did receive flowers from Derek was on prom night. I can still remember the night just like it was yesterday…

_I stepped through the front door and closed it gently behind me. Lizzie and Edwin were sitting on the couch watching _The Italian Job_. Edwin's arm was draped around Lizzie and her head was resting on his shoulder. The only reason they were even in that position on the couch was because George and Mom were out at some retreat with the Davis's and they had left us in charge of the house and Marti._

_Marti glances up at me from where she is sitting at the kitchen table. "Derek isn't back yet." She said softly, before returning to the book that she was reading._

Great_, I thought to myself. That is _just _what I wanted to hear._

_I gathered my Cinderella-skirt up with my hands and made my way up the stairs and into Derek's messy bedroom. I closed the door gently behind myself and sat down on his bed, glancing around his bedroom. I glanced down at his bedspread and notice something silver sparkling from behind me. I turned to pick it up; it was a picture of Derek and I in a frame._

_I was grinning widely and Derek had his lips pressed against my cheek, his eyes closed. We took it last summer while we were sitting out on our back deck, messing around with Derek's new camera._

_I sighed and sat it back down on the bed just as his bedroom door creaked open._

_Derek entered the room, a bouquet of lilies and pink roses in his hands._

_My heart sped up and I gave him a soft smile._

"_Hey." He said softly._

_I stood up, smiling softly in return. "Hey yourself."_

_I made my way towards him and he handed me the bouquet, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm late." He said softly._

_I smiled in return and sat the bouquet gently on his nightstand. "Don't mention it." I whispered and brought my lips to his._

_He immediately kissed me passionately, wrapping his arms around my white dress and pulling me tightly against him. The small, beaded flower pattern on the top of my dress pressed into my skin due to how tightly pressed we were against one another._

"_How was your date?" I asked softly, breaking our kiss._

_Derek glanced down at me, breathing heavily. A smile slowly crept upon his face. "You'll _never_ have to ask me that again." He says before pressing his lips against me once more. He reached his hands up and circled them around my tiara-headpiece, removing it and sitting it against on his nightstand along with the flowers._

_He gently laid me down on his bed and the rest…was history._

Snap out of it Casey!

I can not believe I just had that flashback in front of my fiancé _and_ Derek's fiancé!

What kind of a monster am I?

My face is clearly holding an odd expression, seeing as Amy gives me a puzzled look. "Are you okay, Casey?"

I force my lips to smile tightly, "Fine." I say through clenched teeth, "Never been better."

-¤-

I told my parents that Daniel was gay.

I told my parents that Daniel was gay, and they believed me.

I made up this huge lie about how he had known for years, but never wanted anybody else to know about his same-sex orientation. I told them that Amy was so hurt, and so confused, that she ran into my arms and we fell in love.

Thank God, they believed me.

I am just stepping back into the living room, where everybody is situated in various places, when Amy latches onto my arm. "Dare, honey, can I talk to you?" she asks tenderly.

Damn it. Amy never says anything tenderly, whether or not she is pulling an act.

In two words: I'm screwed.

I turn towards her and tightly smirk, "Sure thing, cuddle monkey."

_Cuddle monkey?_

Amy pulls me out of the living room, through the kitchen, and into the laundry room, where she finally releases my arm.

She paces back and forth for a few moments, breathing in and out, and not saying a word to me.

"Derek," she says tensely, her voice squeaking, "I'm going to put this as lightly as I can." She spins around to face me and her eyes darken. "What in the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" I say quickly. "It's just, Casey saw the ring and I knew that she was going to wonder what the hell you were doing with a wedding ring when you're dating me, so I had to tell her that we're engaged. That way she can't ask anymore questions."

She runs her hands through her hair and breathes deeply. "How am I supposed to explain this to Daniel?"

I chuckle slightly. "_Actually_, he's in Hawaii… visiting his true love, Ono."

She lifts one eyebrow at me. "Excuse me?" I don't even have time to answer her question before her eyes widen and her jaw drops. "_No_. _No way_. You did _not_ tell your parents that Daniel is gay. _Tell me_ you did _not_ tell your parents that."

I shrug, "Okay. I didn't tell my parents that."

She slugs me in the shoulder. "I cannot _believe_ you, Derek! You're in _way_ over your head, do you realize that?"

"Will you just help me out?" I ask sharply. "Casey's already getting jealous, I can tell."

Her lips purse at me and her arms cross over her chest. "What's in it for me?"

I smile at her sheepishly. "Uh…the simple fact of knowing that you helped a friend in need?" I question. "Can you say 'Samaritan of the Year' award?"

Her eyes roll up towards the ceiling and she sighs deeply, before looking back at me. "You're going to owe me _big_ for this, Venturi."

I run a hand through my hair and glance down at the floor quickly before looking back at her. "Somehow, I figured that." I mutter.

"And once I calm down," she says tightly, "I'll let you know just _what_ you owe me."

_Wait a minute; that means…_

My eyes widen as I look at her, "So…you mean to say that…"

She lifts her hands up loosely while her shoulders shrug, "Yes, I'll help you destroy your ex-girlfriend's engagement."

My arms wrap around her tightly and I pull her close to me, she laughs against my chest. "Easy there, Derek." She snuffles, "Nobody's around right now."

Just as she says that, I hear a gasp. We both stop in place and turn around to face the culprit.

Marti is leaning against the door of the laundry room, a doe-eyed expression on her face and her mouth slightly agape. "Oh, my heart!" she exclaims. "You guys would be _so_ cute together if Derek didn't really love Casey and Amy wasn't married to Daniel!" she glances up at the ceiling. "I am _so_ brilliant sometimes, I wonder if God has ever wanted to share my wealth of brilliance with anybody else in this world."

Amy gives me a puzzled look, "Has she always been this in love with herself?"

I smile and sigh proudly, dropping an arm over Amy's shoulder. "She gets it from me. Isn't it great?"

-♥-

**Okay…so what do you think?**

**I'll be busy packing and unpacking for the rest of this week and part of next week, so another update probably will not be until the end of next week, and then I have a friend (the same friend from **_**last**_** summer) coming to stay with from July 19****th**** – mid-August, but I promise to update throughout that time!**

**Anyways, R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	5. Of Black Belts and DMVs

**Hey readers! I am now officially a resident in the state of Wyoming! Haha…anyways, we just finished getting unpacked and whatnot, and I decided that today I would get started on Chapter Five of Think Twice! **

**Thank you SO much for all the reviews, you guys! Over 100 with only 4 chapters…you're completely **_**amazing**_** and I love each and every one of you!**

**So, without further adieu, here is chapter 5.**

**Enjoy!**

**-**

_**Love, Peace, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 5**

**-♥-**

"So…" I try and say as nonchalantly as possible to Andrew; the two of us are sitting in my room. I am _attempting _to type up an email to my friend, Jessie, back in DC. However, I can't get past the opening line 'Hey Jess!' due to a perky strawberry blonde headed girl that won't escape my mine. "What do you think of Amy?" I turn around to face him.

Andrew glances up at me and smiles, "I think she and Derek make a very cute couple!" he says happily.

_Of course_ he would say that. Why wouldn't he say that? Compared to me right now, Andrew lives on planet Sunshine.

He lifts an eyebrow towards me, smirking. "What do _you_ think of her?"

I shrug my shoulders "casually" while biting back a groan of annoyance. "All of Derek's girlfriends are the same. Flighty, giggly, big breasted."

Except for me, that is. I was way too good for Derek: smart, sophisticated…lack thereof in the chest department.

Andrew chuckles, "She seems level-headed, and smart." He says. "Are you sure you have the right girl?"

I roll my eyes, "What? No comments about her cup size?"

Andrew gives me a confused glance, "Did _you_ think they were small, or something? Perhaps we weren't looking at the same girl…?"

I roll my eyes, scoffing. "Shut up."

He laughs, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just kidding, babe."

I sigh, "I know." Standing up from my desk, I brush my hands down my shirt, "I'm going to go see what the family's up to."

He nods, looking back down at the book he is reading, "Bye baby."

I give him a small smile and leave my bedroom, starting down the hallway.

I pause when I am at Derek's room. A girl is giggling; Amy- of course.

Rolling my eyes, I try to keep my fists from clenching and my stomach from tightening.

I make my way down stairs and hear the front door knock just as I am heading into the living room.

As soon as I open the door, I am shocked at the sight in front of me.

It's Sam.

His eyebrows raise when he sees me, and a smile lights up his face. "Casey! Hey!" he says, pulling me into a hug.

I laugh and hug him back, "Hey Sam! How are you?"

He smiles at me as we break apart, "I'm doing really well. And yourself?"

I hold up my hand, my engagement ring twinkling. "Can't really complain."

His eyes widen, "That's right! You're engaged! Derek mentioned that to me."

I smile politely in return.

"So, when's the big day?" he asks.

"Next weekend." Then it dawns on me.

I am a horrible friend.

"I can't believe I forgot to ask you to come!" I gasp, "I am so sorry, Sam!"

He laughs, "It's no problem, Case. I haven't talked to you in almost two years."

I shake my head, "Still, I can't believe I didn't ask you." I say quickly. "It's next Saturday, six PM, Jovial Gardens."

He nods, smiling, "I'll definitely be there."

I grin, "Great!"

"So, is Derek around?" he asks, casually.

I nod, jerking my thumb up the stairs, "He's in his room, with Amy."

He smiles, a surprised expression on his face. "Awesome! Amy's here?"

What the hell? Did I miss something when I met her?

"Mmhmm."

He laughs, "Isn't she awesome?"

I stop myself from rolling my eyes, "Oh yeah. She and Derek are sure to make a wonderful husband and wife."

He sends me a confused expression, "Husband and wife?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Derek didn't tell you? He and Amy are engaged?"

His eyebrows shoot up. "Derek Venturi and Amy Hunter? Little red-headed girl, big smile, loud laugh?"

Ah, so _that's_ what the home-wrecker's last name is.

Oh my God, I did _not_ just call her that.

"That's the one." I say, nodding.

Sam looks as confused as ever, but simply sighs. "Okay, thanks Casey. It was really good to see you. Thanks for the wedding invite."

I smile at him in return, "No problem, see you around."

He heads upstairs and I make my way into the living room, plopping down beside Marti on the couch.

She presses the pause button on the TiVo remote, and smiles at me.

She has Derek's smile. She has the exact same, demonic, twisted smile. Only Marti's is on a much prettier face. "Aren't Derek and Amy the cutest couple ever?"

I give her a fake smile, "The cutest." I say through gritted teeth.

Marti laughs, returning back to the show she was watching. "Liar."

-¤-

"Well, I'm going to have to call Daniel and tell him about this, Dere." Amy says, as she sits against the headboard of my bed.

"Well, obviously." I say, rolling my eyes from where I am sitting beside her, my arms crossed over my chest. "I really don't want to have my funeral be on the same day as Casey's wedding. The sooner we tell him, the less likely he is to use my head as a punching bag and my body as a bulls-eye."

"Don't forget," Amy throws in, "he's a black belt."

I scoff, "Thank you _so_ much for the confidence boost, Ames. Really."

There is a knock at the door, followed by a, "DMV!"

My eyes widen, and I sit up in the bed. Only one person calls me DMV (which are my initials, for you who didn't already know that), and that would be, "SAMMY!"

The door opens and my oldest friend steps inside, smiling hugely.

Amy smiles at him, "Hey Sam! Long time no see!"

Sam laughs, "Yeah. What's it been now? Two-three days?"

Sam lives in the same apartment building as Amy and Daniel, right across from the hallway, actually.

She laughs, rolling her eyes, "Shut up."

"So…" he says casually, plopping down in my computer chair and turning to face us, "I was talking to Daniel Hunter on the phone today – perhaps you remember him – and…funny story, actually: he never mentioned a split between him and Amy. Which, you'd _think_ he'd mention to one of his best friends. Just like you would have _thought_ that my best friend since pre-school would have mentioned to me that he was marrying the girl that Daniel supposedly broke up with!"

Okay, so he knows.

"Casey told you that me and Amy were engaged?" I ask weakly.

He scoffs, "She might have mentioned it."

Amy laughs nervously, "_Trust_ me, Sammy. I'm not engaged to Derek. I would _never_ marry Derek."

I nod my head in agreement, "Exact—wait, what is _that _supposed to mean? You would never marry me? What the hell, Ames?"

Amy gives me a sympathetic smile and pats me gingerly on the cheek. "Just stop talking, Derek."

Sam holds up a finger. "Wait a minute, you're not marrying Derek?"

Amy shakes her head, "No. I'm 200 percent in love with Daniel, and that's not going to change."

Sam shakes his head in confusion, "Then why does Casey think that you two are…" he drifts off, his eyes widening. "Oh God. Derek that is _low_, even for you."

My eyebrows rise at him. "Ah, so you figured out what I'm doing."

"I can not believe that you are making it out like Amy is your fiancé just to see how Casey reacts. Does Daniel know about this?"

Amy sighs, "No-"

Sam's eyes widen. "When do you plan on telling him? You _do_ know that Daniel is a black belt, right Derek?"

I throw my arms up in the air, "Yes! For the love of God, I know that he is a black belt! I know that he will kick my ass to Tibet if my lips come within ten inches of Amy's!"

Sam nods, "I'm glad we have that cleared up."

-♥-

"So, tell us _again_ how you and Amy met…" Marti gushes as we all sit around the dinner table.

Andrew is sitting next to me, Sam across from him, Derek beside Sam (therefore, directly across from me…_gag_), and Amy beside Derek.

"Yeah, Derek." Edwin says tightly. "_Do tell_."

Derek looks shocked to be on the spot with such a simple question as where he met his future "blushing bride", but _Super-Fiancé to the Rescue! _Amy quickly answers the question.

"Well, I was in the student union with my then-boyfriend, Daniel, when he introduced me to his good friend, Derek. I always thought of Derek as cocky and self-centered. But he was really there for me whenever I found out that Daniel was really attracted to men." She wipes a tear from her eye and gives Derek a proud smile.

Sam chokes on his mashed potatoes.

Funny, I didn't even know that was possible.

"Sam, are you alright?" Lizzie asks quickly, her eyes widening.

Sam shoots a glare towards Derek and Amy before nodding, "I'm great." He says, taking a sip out of his water.

What the hell is with everyone?

-¤-

"_Gay_?" Sam hisses towards me as I plop down on the couch, and flip on the television. "You told your parents that Daniel was _gay_?"

I nod, grinning mischievously. "And they believed me!"

Sam scoffs, "If Amy and Daniel weren't actually married, _I'd_ probably believe it."

I can't help but agree, "Yeah, me too."

"Hey Derek, I think I'm going to head to my hotel room." Amy says, coming up behind us on the couch.

I turn to face her, "Have you explained that to the family yet?" I ask, confusingly.

Amy narrows her eyes at me. "I do not care if they find out that this is all a hoax or not. I _refuse_ to share a bed with you. You snore, _and _you steal the blankets."

Sam nods, "It's true."

I roll my eyes, "My parents might just consider you to be a freak…like Andrew, who won't share a room with Casey."

Amy rolls her eyes, "Don't care."

Just then, Nora, Casey, and Andrew enter the living room. Amy turns towards them and smiles, "Thanks so much for dinner, you guys. But I have to get to my hotel room."

"Hotel room?" Nora asks confusingly.

Amy winces, "Yeah. See, I don't agree with sharing a bed with my spouse in their family's home."

Andrew smiles, holding up a hand in a high-five format, "Right on."

Amy gives him a weak smile and gives him a high-five. "Again, thanks so much." She says before giving me a hug, "Night Dere."

"See, Casey?" Andrew says, turning towards her in a know-it-all way, "I told you I wasn't strange."

"Are we taking bets on that?" Sam whispers towards me.

Casey apparently could hear what he said, for she shoots him a dirty glare.

"Well, I better get started on dishes. It was _so _nice to see you again, Amy."

Amy smiles at her in return, "You too, Nora. Nice to meet you Casey, Andrew." She says before turning and walking out of the house.

"Mrs. Venturi, I would love to help you with the dishes." Andrew says happily.

_Suck up_.

Nora smiles happily, "Why _thank you_, Andrew. Follow me." She says and leads him in to the kitchen.

Sam glances between me and Casey before grinning at me evilly. "Y'know, Nora. I'll dry!" he says before jumping off of the couch and making his way into the kitchen.

Sam is an evil, evil man.

-♥-

Okay, it's official.

Sam is pure _evil_.

He left me in here with _Derek_, the last guy I want to see.

However, I can't just _leave_ the living room or anything, because then Andrew would wonder why I was so antsy around Derek, and one thing would lead to another, and eventually he would find out that Derek is my ex-boyfriend.

I could never lie to Andrew's puppy-dog eyes.

I am _not_ lying about dating Derek to him. I'm just simply not mentioning it. There's a huge difference, trust me.

Derek is staring at me from where he is on the couch, his body turned to face me.

I can't utter a word, however. It's just too hard.

He isn't saying anything either, his hazel eyes are pouring into me and giving me an effect that only Derek has ever been able to give me.

Goosebumps are now rising all over my body, and my stomach is knotting up.

For some reason that I do not understand, the only thought running through my head is:

God, he's beautiful.

-¤-

God, she's gorgeous.

Why did Andrew have to propose to her and ruin everything?

Why did _I _have to ruin everything the summer after senior year?

It's not my fault, honest-to-God, it isn't.

All I can ever think about anymore is the look on her face when she opened the door and saw us. You could tell just by the look on her face that her heart was shattering into a million pieces…and there was _nothing_ I could do about it.

I tried apologizing, believe me, I did. But she wouldn't listen, she didn't care.

Casey tears her eyes away from me and glances down at her bare feet. Her toes are painted a minty green color, with small white polka dots on them.

"So…are we going to say anything to each other or are we just going to keep this silent-treatment thing going on?" I finally ask, breaking our barrier of silence.

Casey's head shoots up towards me, a surprised expression on her face. "I think the silent-treatment is working out pretty well."

"Well, you just broke it." I say, "So, now we can talk."

Casey shakes her head at me, "I really don't have anything to say to you, Derek."

I sigh, "Okay, then what do you think of Amy?"

"What do you think of Andrew?" she retorts.

I don't reply.

"Babe, can you come in here for a second? There is an _adorable_ picture of you in a cheerleading uniform in here!" Andrew calls out.

God, I hate that guy.

Casey gives me one, final look before replying, "Sure, baby." and making her way into the kitchen.

I sigh and slump back against the couch.

Marti appears at my side within moments, "Hey Smerek." She says, softly, plopping down beside me.

My eyes widen in surprise and I glance at her, "Did you just call me Smerek?"

She gives me a small smile. "Your life is basically sucking right now, I figured the _least_ I could do was call you Smerek."

I give her a small smile and drop my arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer towards me and kissing her temple, "Thanks, Smarti."

-¤-

**There you have it!**

**So what'd you think?**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

_**-**_**degrassichick :)**


	6. Coyote Ugly, anyone?

**Hey readers!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews!...once again, I totally love you guys:)**

**So, is anybody else extremely excited for HP 5? ...because I am! Very, very, very much excited. lmao**

**Anyways, sorry this chapter took me a little while to update. It's just, I hate filler chapters with a passion, and this just-so-happens to be one. So…sorry about that!**

**I **_**did**_**, however, try to stick some Dasey in here for you guys!**

**Anyways, without further adieu, here's chapter 6. Enjoy!**

**-**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)♥**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 6**

**-♥-**

"I still can't believe you hate this movie." I say, shaking my head at Andrew in surprise.

I am sitting on the bed in Edwin's old bedroom, where Andrew is staying. Lizzie is bunking with Marti, and Edwin has taken Lizzie's room.

Andrew is leaning back against the headboard, shirtless and wearing a pair of pajama pants. He laughs at me and shakes his head. "I still haven't gotten over the fact that you _like_ that movie."

I shake my head at him, but laugh. "Thank you very much; Coyote Ugly is an exceedingly excellent movie. And there are girls dancing on bar counters in this movie! And you're telling me that you don't _like_ it?"

Andrew shakes his head, "No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Nope."

"Not even the slightest bit?"

"Uh-uh."

"Not even-"

"Casey!" Andrew exclaims, laughing. "I _hate_ that movie."

I narrow my eyes at him playfully, "Fine." I declare, rolling off the bed. "Then I am going to go downstairs and watch this movie."

Andrew nods, "Good."

I make my way towards the bedroom door. "Alone."

"Okay."

I lean back against it as I enter the hallway, staring at him dramatically. "_All_ alone."

He attempts to hide his smile from the book he is reading. "Great."

I huff and make my way out of the bedroom.

Seriously, who doesn't like Coyote Ugly?

I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen to pop some popcorn.

I nearly jump a foot in the air when I spot a silhouette in the standing by the fridge.

The figure turns around upon my gasp and starts _laughing_.

I know that laugh from _anywhere; _that cocky, holier-than-thou laugh, the laugh that bounces from wall to wall and hasn't been able to escape my mind for the past four years.

Ladies and Gentlemen! I now present to you: Derek the Dumbass.

-¤-

I am preparing to open the fridge to pull out the milk carton when I hear a gasp erupt in the kitchen.

It's a very familiar gasp.

It's a gasp that belongs to _one_ Casey MacDonald.

Oh, I'm sorry: Casey…what the hell is that jackass's last name?

God, who cares?

Surely not me. I definitely don't care what Casey's fiancé's last name is.

I turn around to face her and can't help but chuckle. I'm sorry! Just, looking at her so angry makes me laugh. Like this one time, back during our sophomore year when she hadn't gotten her project done on time, and for some godforsaken reason, she blamed me. I walked into her bedroom and she was throwing objects at the wall…and then at me. Her hair fell in front of her eyes and her shoulders slumped. The look on her face was _priceless_.

Upon my chuckling, she flips on the light switch, glaring at me.

"What are _you_ doing in here?" she seethes angrily.

I chuckle once more. "Do we need to go over this yet _again_, Casey? I _live_ here during the summer. In fact, I've _lived_ here since I was in the first grade. How long did _you_ live here?"

She rolls her eyes, slamming her shoulder into mine roughly as she makes her way to the cabinet and pulls out the box of popcorn. "_Too_ long."

I feel as if she punched me in the heart. I really wish that we could have ended things on better terms than we did. I, honest-to-God, am innocent. No matter _how_ many times she tries to tell me different.

"But," I toss in, "not as long as me. Therefore, I win. I hereby call dibs on the kitchen and the living room!" I pump my fist in the air strategically.

She rolls her eyes and scoffs at me. "Tonight, you_ don't_ win the living room. I'm watching a movie."

"And what movie would that be?" I snort, glancing at the DVD in here hand. "Coy…you're watching Coyote Ugly?" my throat tightens.

She shrugs, "Yeah? So?"

She doesn't remember.

She seriously doesn't remember.

Casey glances back at me and suddenly her face falls. "Oh."

Coyote Ugly was the last movie we watched together.

It's pathetic that I remember so many things from the year that we dated, but I do. I remember everything.

"_Okay…Road Trip?" I ask, glancing through the two piles of DVDs that are sitting on my bed. One pile is Casey's DVDs, the other is mine._

_Casey laughs loudly, "Yeah right! You're much better off looking at _my_ pile of DVDs."_

_I toss a throw pillow at her from where she is sitting on my computer chair, "Fat chance of that happening."_

"_Well, excuse me, but I'm not interested in watching EuroTrip, Road Trip, or anything else with the word _Trip_ in it."_

_I shrug, "Fine. We'll watch Knocked Up."_

"_You _know_ I hate that movie!" Casey exclaims._

_I roll my eyes, hiding my smile, "Honestly, Case, the movie is a classic."_

"_Watching guys get stoned and Katherine Heigl get pregnant is by _no_ means a classic."_

_I shake my head, chuckling. "Fine. How about Without a Paddle?"_

"_Oh my God." Casey says, shaking her head and standing up. She shoves me out of the way. "Let _me_ handle this."_

_I scoff, "Not a chance." I say and shove her out of the way._

_Her jaw drops dramatically. "_Derek_!" she exclaims and pounces on me, the two of us fall on to the bed, the DVDs scattering all around us._

_I laugh and roll over, so I am lying on top of her._

_I glance down at her gorgeous blue eyes and press my lips against hers._

_Casey giggles, "Don't think that this is going to win you over with any movie." She says before snaking her arm around my neck and pulling me down farther._

_I break away momentarily, "I wouldn't dream of it." I whisper huskily, kissing her deeper as she rakes her hands across my scalp._

_A movie falls onto the floor, causing us to break out of our stupor._

_Casey breaks away from me and leans down to pick up the DVD. "Coyote Ugly." She says softly, reading the title._

_I smirk, getting off of the bed and pulling her up with me, pressing a kiss against her lips. "Coyote Ugly it is."_

-♥-

How could I be so stupid?

How could I forget that Coyote Ugly was basically _our_ movie?

Are the Gods trying to tell me something?

"So, you're going to watch it right now?" Derek asks casually.

I nod tightly, "Yep." I say before turning on my heel and stalking out of the kitchen, flipping the light switch down; leaving Derek stranded in the darkness.

I put the DVD into the DVD player and proceed to sink down into the couch, leaning against the familiar, soft cushions.

Just seconds later, I feel my stomach knot up.

_Great_, Derek's back.

He plops down beside me and smirks.

I scoff. God, I hate him.

I still don't know why I ever went out with him.

_Because you really _don't_ hate him?_

Shut up conscience, I can't handle you right now.

"You really think you're going to be able to sit through this movie?" I ask, turning towards Derek with a lifted eyebrow.

He sighs, sinking into the couch. "Wouldn't be the first time."

My stomach tightens. This has to be the most awkward situation I have _ever_ been in.

The menu starts up, lighting up the darkened living room, and I don't reach for the remote to press the play button.

Derek sends me a confused glare after a few moments of background music. "Casey? Are you going to start the movie or what?"

My head jerks up in surprise, "Oh, right. Yeah." I say and quickly press the play button before dropping the remote back onto the couch cushion. I cross my arms over my chest as the movie begins to play.

-¤-

This has to be one of the absolute most awkward situations I have _ever_ been in. I am sitting here with Casey on our old couch, watching _our_ old movie. The last time we watched this movie, we were making out by the end of it.

_Yeah_…that probably won't be happening this time.

…_unless…_

…okay, snap out of it, dumbass.

I glance over at Casey momentarily, her eyes are completely focused on the screen, not once looking towards me.

"So, why isn't the fiancé watching this with you?" I finally ask, breaking the silence five minutes into the movie.

"Andrew hates Coyote Ugly." She says stiffly.

_God_, why does she have to say his _name_?

What kind of a name is _Andrew_ anyways? He sounds like he belongs to a country club or something!

Which, he more-than-likely does.

Okay, so Andrew isn't a horrible name. It's a normal name, actually. A _boring_ name.

Now _Derek_, on the other hand, that is one hell of an _exciting_ name. It's full of mystery and excitement.

There are so many different ways to spell Derek. How many ways are there to spell _Andrew_?

Yeah, I got you there, pretty boy.

Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Wow. I _definitely _need to get out more.

-♥-

We are thirty minutes into the movie when I begin realize just how uncomfortable I am watching a movie with _Derek_.

I'm engaged, he's engaged (to _Amy_, perfect _Amy_, queen-of-everything _Amy_), this is wrong on so many levels.

Not that we're _doing _anything, or whatever. Therefore, it shouldn't feel awkward, and I shouldn't feel guilty about watching this movie with Derek.

Right…I totally shouldn't feel uncomfortable watching _our_ movie with my _ex_-boyfriend (who is also my stepbrother, but I don't like thinking about that small fact).

Yeah, I'd say that if you combined Cruel Intentions with all three of its movies, that it wouldn't be _this_ twisted.

Okay, so that's a stretch.

Wow, Ryan Phillipe looked good in that movie.

"Do you remember Boxing Day at your grandparent's house?" Derek suddenly asks, causing my heart to sink into my stomach.

My heart sinks even lower when I comprehend what he just said.

Boxing Day at my grandparent's house…I remember every _bit_ of that day.

"Yes." I say softly.

"Man," Derek says, sighing, "we had fun back then. And then whenever Marti-"

"Do we have to talk about this?" I ask, turning towards him roughly.

Derek's face falls and his eyes darken.

"God, Derek. I don't want _anything_ to do with you, I don't know why you even bother." I say angrily before quickly standing up from the couch and stalking past him.

"So, what? You're not even going to finish the movie?" Derek snorts, getting up after me.

I narrow my eyes at him, "Watching _this_ movie with you is _not_ on the top of my priorities list. And it never will be."

Derek looks taken aback, almost as if I can see his heart breaking in his eyes.

Whatever, it serves him right.

"Casey-" Derek starts. I've never seen him look that heartbroken. I mean, I've seen him look this heartbroken before, like when we broke up, but it never really stung me as bad as it does right now.

Okay, so that's a lie. It hurt horribly to watch him be so upset about our break-up. But, it served him right for me to be dumping him and for him to have his heartbroken. He has no idea what he put me through.

"Goodnight, Derek." I say coldly, before stalking up the stairs and into my bedroom.

I shut the door behind me and lean against it, fighting the tears away that are threatening to leak out of my eyes.

I hear Derek's bedroom door close within moments.

This feels so strange; the two of us, once again, sleeping in rooms directly across from each other.

At this time back during grade twelve, I would be sneaking across the hallway and into Derek's bedroom, where we would lay in bed together until five in the morning, kissing, cuddling, and talking to each other. The sun would come up and I wouldn't have had an ounce of sleep. I would sneak back across to my bedroom to squeeze in an hour and a half of sleep before the school that morning.

Only a few times, did I actually fall asleep in his room, and they weren't memorable times. Well, they were memorable, but not always in the best sense.

One time, Marti walked in on us while she ran into the room screaming "Smerek!" at the top of her lungs.

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw me lying in Derek's bed in one of his hockey tee-shirts and a pair of underwear, but she wound up giggling.

Another time, George started beating on the door, yelling at Derek to get up.

I fell off of the bed I was in such shock.

God, why am I taking a trip down Memory Lane?

I _hate_ taking trips down Memory Lane.

…especially when these so-called "trips" have to do with Derek.

I can't believe he asked about Boxing Day.

But, the memories soon overtake me, and I find myself crumbling against my floor in a fit of tears.

-¤-

I asked Casey if she remembered Boxing Day.

I can't _believe_ I asked about Boxing Day.

Not that anything _bad_ happened that day. It's just that Casey and I were in the kitchen on dish duty, when I had suddenly flung a handful of bubbles at her.

She had gasped and threw some back at me.  
Soon enough, it resulted in the two of us making out in the pantry. Marti had opened up the door to get out a bag of pecans and squealed with delight upon seeing us together.

The whole way home, she was singing "I've got a secret, I've got a secret".

Dad and Nora kept asking her what the secret was, but she never said anything.

Marti was always good for secret-keeping, she still is.

I'm still in shock that it was all her idea to play Amy off as my fiancée. I am just lucky that Amy _agreed_ to be my fiancée.

God knows I don't want to know what Daniel would do to me if he found out that not _only_ am I "stealing his girlfriend", but I also made him be attracted to other guys.

Yes, I am a great friend.

A great friend indeed.

But, it will all be worth it.

Hopefully.

-♥-

**Like I said, I hate filler chapters.**

**Anyways, hope you guys liked it! I did stick some Dasey in there at least!**

**Er, sort of. Haha**

**Anyways, R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)♥**


	7. Killer SkeeBalls

**Hey readers!**

**Wow, two chapters in one week. I am proud of myself. Haha**

**Anyways, I don't have a ton to say, so I'm just going to cut to the chase…**

**Here is Chapter 7…sorry if Casey's heart-separators don't show up! I noticed that they didn't in the last chapter, so if you don't see hearts, but simply two dashes, then that is Casey's part of the chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 7**

**-♥-**

"Morning baby." Andrew says to me dazedly as I step into his room the next morning, "How was Coyote Ugly?"

My heart slightly sinks, but I cover it up, "Would have been better if _you_ would have watched it with me."

He sends me an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Case." He says and reaches his arms out to wrap around my waist, pulling me down onto the bed beside him. He kisses my temple and I can feel him smiling against me, "I love you."

I suddenly remember why Andrew is so perfect for me. It's moments like these that let me know that there is _nobody_ else that I would rather spend the rest of my life with.

I smile and turn to face him, kissing him quickly on the lips. "I love you too."

He keeps his arm wrapped around me and leans back against the headboard of Edwin's bed. "How about we do something today? Just you and me?"

I wince, "I promised Lizzie and Marti last night that I would go to the mall with them."

Andrew nods, "I can do that. I can deal with being 'one of the girls'."

I laugh and swat him on the chest, "Sorry, just us girls."

Andrew laughs, "Okay, I see how it is." He says with mock-offense. "What am I supposed to do today?"

"Bond with my family?" I ask, wincing at him playfully.

Andrew chuckles and smiles at me; nodding. "Okay."

I smile, leaning in to kiss him. "Okay."

Just then, the door bursts open. Do you want to just _guess_ who it is?

…yeah, you're right.

-¤-

"It was the most awkward forty-five minutes of my life, Ames." I say, flopping back onto my bed and groaning.

Amy laughs from the other side of the phone, "Wow, Derek. You sound so feminine."

I sit up quickly, "Take that back."

She bursts out in giggles. "Maybe you should just make a different ulterior motive."

"Meaning…?"

I can tell Amy is grinning on the other send of the line, "Kill them with kindness."

WHAT?

"You're insane." I say, laughing out of shock. "You want _me_ to be nice to _Andrew_?"

"Yes." Amy says as if I am the stupidest guy on Earth. "How does that phrase go again? Keep your friends close and keep your…I'm sorry, keep your _what_ closer?"

"Enemies." I grumble, rolling my eyes.

She laughs, "Exactly."

"So, what do you suggest I do? Casey is going out with Marti and Lizzie today."

Amy gasps, "Leaving _you_ with the 'other-man'. It's perfect!"

"What?" I ask confusingly. "Ames, how the _hell_ is this, by any means, _perfect_?"

"I think it's high time you did some 'bonding' with the boyfriend." Amy declares proudly.

"You're clinically insane, Hunter." I say seriously. "There isn't a snowball's chance in July that I am going to hang out with Carlton Banks' biggest fan."

Amy laughs, "First off, it _does_ snow in July in some parts of the world. And second, I _love_ Carlton Banks!"

I roll my eyes, "Amy, I am not hanging out with Andrew. I'd rather _not_ get arrested for manslaughter."

Amy sighs, "Just go do something with him! Just for a few hours, and then I _promise_ I'll show up to rescue you."

My lips purse, which is shocking, seeing as my lips _never_ purse and I sigh. "Promise?"

"I promise!" she says, laughing. "Take him to that Boardwalk Arcade or whatever."

"You mean Broadway Billiards?" I ask. I've been to that place a countless amount of times. Parts of mine and Casey's bet took place at that arcade, as well as countless dates of ours after the bet was over.

"Right, whatever." Amy says, "Just take him there, challenge to a game of Skee-Ball, and then that's it. Andrew thinks you guys are friends for life and Casey's in awe about your sudden shift of emotions."

"No, no, no." I say, "You've got it all wrong. Casey will know _exactly_ what I'm doing. The girl can read me like a book."

"Just do it, okay, Derek?" Amy asks. "I'll show up at this arcade place around three. It's noon now, so you don't have _that _much time that you have to deal with him. Okay?"

"Fine." I mutter, "Fine, fine, fine."

-♥-

"Derek!" Andrew says surprisingly, nearly pushing me off of him as he jumps up on the bed. "What a surprise!"

"Yeah, it is." He says, grinning.

_Grinning?_

"So what brings you to this-here neck of the woods?" Andrew asks, smiling at him happily.

Derek runs a hand through his hair. _God, _do I love his hair.

Snap out of it, Casey!

"Seeing as Casey has other plans today with Lizzie and Marti, I was thinking maybe you and I could go down to Broadway Billiards…"

Oh my God. Did he _seriously_ just say Broadway Billiards?

Andrew's whole face lights up at the thought of this.

I laugh to myself, he's such a dork, but I love him.

"Like, an arcade?" he asks happily.

"Uh, yeah." Derek says, "Skee-Ball, basketball, air hockey, video games, mini golf…"

Andrew laughs joyously, "That sounds great, D!"

I see Derek's face tighten as Andrew calls him 'D'. But he brushes it off, "Uh, yeah. It should be a real…_hoot_, A. So, meet me downstairs in, say, ten minutes?"

Andrew nods happily, "You got it."

Derek nods and retreats out of the bedroom. Andrew face holds a dumbfounded, happy expression.

"Andrew?" I ask calmly.

He smiles, "He called me _A_. He gave me a _nickname_! Do you know what this means?"

"He thought Andy was too childish?" I guess.

Andrew shakes his head. "Nope, it means we're _bonding_." He laughs, "Isn't that great?"

I shoot him a confused expression, but laugh despite myself. "Uh-huh."

-¤-

"Hey D." Edwin says, brushing past me as I walk into the kitchen.

"God, first Andrew, now _you_?" I ask frustratingly.

Edwin sends me a frazzled expression. "Now I _what_?"

"D. You called me D." I grumble, flopping down onto a stool at the island counter.

"Oh." Edwin says calmly. "Okay. Sorry, Mr. Venturi."

I roll my eyes.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Edwin asks, sitting down beside me.

"I'm bonding with Andrew today." I declare annoyingly.

Edwin laughs loudly, "Seriously? _Why_?"

"Because Amy told me to." I mutter.

Edwin chuckles, "And what the fiancé says, goes?"

"She's not my fiancé, Ed." I say quietly.

"Yeah, I know." Edwin replies. "Why did you tell everyone she is?"

I shrug, "I just-"

"You're trying to make Casey jealous." Edwin cuts in, nodding in understanding.

I nod my head once, "Yeah."

"Think it's going to work?" Edwin asks, turning to look at me.

I don't get a chance to reply, for Andrew appears in front of us. He's wearing a tee shirt sporting the New York Yankees logo and a pair of cut off khaki shorts. He has on a backwards baseball cap on and a pair of Adidas sandals.

Dear God, the boy looks _normal_.

"Ready to go?" he asks, smiling like a little kid.

Edwin grins, "He sure is." He declares, slapping me on the back before standing up from the stool and starting to head out of the kitchen.

Note to self: Kill Edwin.

Actually, I think I know just how to do so.

"You _know_, Edwin was really bummed that he wasn't going to get to go with us…" I say slowly towards Andrew.

Edwin stops dead in his tracks and turns to face me. "I was?"

Andrew grins, "The more the merrier! C'mon Edwin! You can hang out with the big dogs today!"

…the big dogs?

Edwin winces. "I prefer to hang out with the _little_ dogs…puppies, actually."

Andrew laughs, slapping him on the back. Even from where I'm sitting, it looks painful. "You and your brother are such _riots_!"

I can hear Edwin muttering in the background. "Little beagles, cocker spaniels…labs…golden retrievers…"

"Oh yeah." I agree, "We're _total_ riots."

Andrew laughs, "Awesome. I'll meet you two outside." He says before cutting through the laundry room and stepping outside.

Edwin narrows his eyes at me, "I'll _kill_ you." He seethes.

"Ah, so you hate the Beav as well?" I note.

Edwin nods, "Just call me Eddie Haskell."

-♥-

"Derek's hanging out with Andrew today." I say as Lizzie, Marti, and I step into the mall.

Marti and Lizzie both send me awed expressions. "Seriously?" they ask in unison.

I nod. "I don't know what he's trying to pull, but I can read him like a book, so I know that whatever he's doing, it isn't good."

Marti shrugs, "Maybe he's just trying to bond with his future brother-in-law."

Lizzie laughs, loudly. "Do you _seriously_ believe that, Marti?"

Marti laughs, "Not even a little bit."

Lizzie smirks and glances around the mall, suddenly her face falls.

"Liz, what's wrong?" I ask, following her gaze.

My heart falls to the pit of my stomach at the sight of what's in front of me.

Emily Davis.

She is standing at the Orange Julius counter, talking to one of the employees and smiling.

The last time I saw Emily Davis was on Derek's bed, with him on top of her. It's a memory that I wish would forever be erased from my mind. It's never slipped past my mind for longer than a day, however. Not a day goes by when I don't think about what those two did in my bed, and how the hell Derek could do that to me.

Marti gulps, "Maybe we should go to the other side of the mall." She suggests.

But, it's too late.

Emily turns her head and instantly, her eyes meet me.

Her eyes widen and she says goodbye to the Orange Julius employee, making her way towards us. "Casey!" she says, "Hi."

"Hi." I say tightly.

Emily gives me a small smile, "How have you been?"

"Casey's getting married." Lizzie answers for me.

"Wow." Emily says, smiling. "Congratulations, Casey! So who's the lucky guy?"

"Not Derek, obviously." Marti answers, glaring daggers at Emily.

Emily runs her tongue along her lower lip, her eyes lowering towards the ground.

"His name is Andrew." I say softly. "Andrew Wilder."

"She trusts you with his last name." Lizzie says tightly. "Probably because you're not invited to the wedding, so she won't have to catch you two making out in the dressing room before the wedding."

Emily's face falls, "Casey-"

"We should probably be going." I say softly, trying to end this conversation as quickly as possible without coming off as a _total_ bitch. "See you around, Emily." I say before the three of us brush past her and farther into the mall.

"Casey!" Emily calls after me once more.

Marti's eyes hold a cold expression. "I hate her."

Lizzie nods, "Me too."

Marti glances towards me, blinking her eyes at me slowly. "But I don't hate Derek."

-¤-

"Did I mention to you _how_ I'm going to kill you?" Edwin asks grumpily, as we watch Andrew shoot the Skee-ball into the 500 ring for the tenth time.

I shake my head boredly, "No, not yet."

"Oh." Edwin says, "It'll be _very_ painful. I was planning on jamming a Skee-ball down your throat. Well, after I jam five down Howdy Doody's over there."

Andrew pumps his fist into the air before turning towards us and smiling. "Man, I _love_ this game." He says, collecting his tickets. "I'm buying Casey the biggest teddy bear in this whole arcade."

Edwin smiles at him, "_Great _Andrew! She'll love it, I'm sure." he says before turning towards me. "Perhaps Casey will come to her senses and _suffocate_ him with it." He grumbles.

I laugh and stand up, heading over towards the Prize counter, checking out all the prizes that can be won.

"Sup my man?" a beefy guy working the counter asks.

I smile at him out of acknowledgement, "Just checking out what you guys have here."

"Chuck hates majority of this stuff." The man gruffly mutters.

"So sorry to hear." I say, glancing up at him. I notice that his nametag reads Chuck.

"Chuck's sister thinks everything in this arcade is cheap. Chuck agrees. Chuck only works here to get through college so he can stop living with his sister, Tiffanie. Chuck-"

"-can stop referring to himself in third person at any time." I cut him off, rolling my eyes.

Chuck's eyes widen at me in surprise. I'm guessing I shouldn't have pissed off the Big Kahuna of all things stuffed and-or plastic with the occasional whoopee cushion.

"Chuck recognizes you!" he exclaims.

He does?

I shoot him a confused expression, "You do?"

I sure as hell don't recognize _him_. I'm not sure that I have ever met a guy named Chuck before, not that I ever knew on a personal basis, at least.

Well, there was that total basket-case that Casey went out with who had the sister who belonged in a padded cell. His name might have been Chuck…I think?

But, other than that, I don't think I've ever met a Chuck.

Chuck sends me an angered expression. "You're that punk that stole my girlfriend."

"Excuse me?" I pipe up. "I'm not sure I've ever dated anybody that's appeared on America's Most Wanted."

"Caitlin!" Chuck exclaims, "You stole my Caitlin!"

"Who the hell is Caitlin?"

Wait a second. The freak that Casey went out with kept referring to her as Caitlin. That guy's name was Chuck.

Oh, dear God.

This day just keeps getting better and better.

-♥-

As we are at the check-out counter at Rue 21, a loud laugh escapes from Lizzie's mouth.

Marti begins to laugh, shooting her a puzzled expression. "What's so funny?"

Lizzie shakes her head, laughing. "It's just a text message from Edwin. It says 'SOS: big guy Chuck after little man Derek'."

Big man Chuck?

I hand the cashier my credit card and turn to face Lizzie, "What?"

Lizzie shrugs, "I'm guessing some big guy at the arcade is all over Derek."

Marti raises an eyebrow, "Should we go check it out?"

"I don't want to see him beaten to a pulp. How would any of us explain it to Amy?"

Marti snorts, "Amy would laugh."

Lizzie smirks, "You're right, she probably would."

Shrugging, Marti replies, "I think we should go check it out."

_Yes_…because I am just dying to go help out Derek.

Lizzie nods, "I agree." She turns towards me, her face holding a doe-eyed expression, "Casey? Can we?"

Rolling my eyes, I reluctantly agree.

-

Ten minutes later, the three of us are entering the very familiar Broadway Billiards, a place I haven't been to since my senior year of high school.

"Seriously!" I hear a very familiar voice, one that belongs to a certain Derek Venturi.

I turn my head and see Derek standing in front of a beefy guy who looks to be in his late-twenties.

"I'm not dating Caitlin." He explains, "I don't even _talk_ to Caitlin anymore. But, I'd be more than happy to feed you that blonde pole over there; it goes by the name of Andrew. He's with the Caitlin in question, actually."

I see Andrew in the distance, not even paying attention to his surroundings, just strategically playing Skee-Ball.

Yes, he is a dork. But he's _my_ dork.

"I don't care." The man explains, "You stole my Caitlin from me."

Caitlin? _What? _I'm not sure Derek's ever even_ dated_ a Caitlin, not that Hulk Hogan over here would know at least.

Wait a second…

Oh. My. God.

Edwin called him "Big man Chuck".

I went out with a guy named Chuck.

Chuck thought my name was Caitlin.

OH MY GOD.

It's the demonic, twisted creep that fell in love with me.

Oh God.

Derek's eyes cast over towards me for a second, and then they widen.

"Y'know, Chuck…Caitlin is right over there." Derek says coyly, grinning towards me.

My face pales, and my stomach knots up.

No.

_No_.

_No!_

He did _not_ just say that.

-¤-

**Ta-da!** **So what'd you think?**

**I decided to update earlier this time! Aren't you proud? ...lmao.**

**Anyways, I definitely used a lot of vintage references in this chapter (Beav, Howdy Doody…haha)**

**I will try to have at **_**least**_** one more chapter up before my friend comes next Thursday!**

**So, R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	8. Survival of the FLIRTest

**Hey guys!**

**Again, thank you SO much for all the reviews! Almost two hundred comments with only seven chapters, you rock :)**

**Harry Potter 5 was absolutely amazing, I LOVED it. And to those of you who saw it: didn't Luna totally kick ass? Haha…she was awesome :)**

**Anyways, I was watching this video about Michael and Ashley a few days ago and it was the CUTEST thing! It was Ashley's birthday and she called him the love of her life and her best friend and then he sat on her lap and kissed her cheek. (Sad sigh) they are so cute together!**

**So, I figured I'd update once more before I leave for Denver to pick up my friend at the airport tomorrow. She'll be here for about three weeks, so if my updates are slower, that's why. But I PROMISE to update!**

**Without further adieu, here's Chapter 8.**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 8**

**-♥-**

Derek Michael Venturi is _dead_.

He is so very, very, _very_ dead.

Chuck glances over at me and my heart falls to the pit of my stomach.

His eyes widen. "Caitlin?"

"Casey." Lizzie answers for me, snorting.

Derek's eyes widen, and Chuck's narrow.

"_Casey_?" he spits. "I _hate_ that name."

"Then you probably hate my sister." Marti says, crossing her arms over her chest.

Chuck gives them a hard look but sends me a dopey smile as he steps closer towards me, "But I _love_ Caitlin."

He places an arm over my shoulder and I shiver at the touch.

Did I mention to you that I am going to _personally_ murder Derek?

I send an angered expression towards Derek.

And he _smiles_.

He _smiles_ at my pain.

"Wow, Derek. I won Casey the greatest bear ever!" I hear Andrew say happily. I look up and see him coming over to Derek, a giant, white bear in tow.

He got that for me?

Aww…isn't he _perfect_?

Derek doesn't even look Andrew's way, his eyes glued to me as Chuck begins to whisper "sweet nothings" (in his world, at least. To me, all I'm hearing is, "Ooh, Caitlin girl. You look so hot. You should totally go over to my place. I live with Tiffanie, but the basement is all mine.") in my ear. I cringe.

Andrew looks over towards me and his eyes widen. "Hey pal!" he exclaims, dropping the bear and stomping over towards Chuck. "Get your hands off of my fiancé!"

Chuck glances over at him, running his eyes up and down his body before snorting, "_Your_ fiancé? Caitlin is with that little twerp over there…but not for long." He says, grinning against my cheek.

I squirm away from him, before suddenly, my stomach knots up at the thought of what Chuck just said.

I glance over towards Derek, and his eyes are as widened as I think is humanly possible.

"What?" Andrew scoffs. "Derek is Casey's _step_brother."

"I know." Chuck snorts, "Isn't it sick?"

Oh, God.

Andrew scoffs, "Listen, _jerk_. Casey is _my_ fiancée; and if you touch her, so help me God, I will _hurt_ you."

"Oh yeah?" Chuck guffaws, "How?"

Andrew narrows his eyes at him. "_Oh,_ you don't want to know." He says, poking him in the chest with his index finger.

I can hear Derek laughing in the background. As if he has any room to laugh. He would _never_ defend me.

Suddenly, I hear a _very_ familiar giggle coming from behind me.

It belongs to Marti.

Chuck tightens his grip around me, "I love Caitlin. And she is going to be with me. Not with some blonde kid who got lost on his way to the nearest country club."

Andrew shakes his head at Chuck in disgust, "First off, her name is _Casey_. And second, there _are_ no country clubs around here, you stupid."

Then, there is another burst of laughter from behind me.

_Lizzie_.

What is _wrong_ with them?

I hear the bells hanging above the entrance to the arcade chime, and the next words I hear are, "Derek? What's going?"

It's a female voice.

Great…it's Amy.

She jogs over towards are little group that is forming in the center of the arcade and turns towards me, "Hi Casey…oh God!" she exclaims and jumps back at the sight of Chuck. "I mean…_hello_ there!"

"_This_ is Derek's fiancée." Andrew says, grabbing Amy's shoulder. He then turns towards her, "Big Bubba over here thought that Casey and Derek were together. Isn't that crazy?"

Amy laughs nervously, "Entirely crazy." She shoots a suspicious look towards Derek before making her way back towards him.

A boy in his mid-twenties appears beside us, he is wearing the same shirt as Chuck, only his is purple while Chuck's is turquoise (yes, he _is_ wearing turquoise, I don't make this stuff up!), it sports the logo "Broadway Billiards" in the upper left corner. "Chuck…" he says sternly. "We've been over this…"

Chuck releases me from his grip; and due to the loss of weight against me, I tumble into Andrew, who wraps his arms around me protectively. I can hear Derek snorting in the background.

"No harassing paying customers, not even on breaks or lunch shifts." Chuck recites, rolling his eyes.

The boy nods, "And…?"

Chuck groans, "Always apologize to customers to which I harass."

The boy widens his eyes and nods his head once, as if to say "_well_?"

"Sorry Caitlin." He mumbles, turning towards me.

"Casey." I correct him.

He grimaces, "Right." He turns to Andrew, "Sorry Little Dude."

Andrew nods in understanding, "Actually, it's Andre-"

"Like it matters." Chuck cuts him off before walking away, the boy in purple following closely behind.

Andrew picks up the bear and shakes it towards Chuck, "That jerk. He deserves whatever comes to him."

"_That_ was Chuck?" Amy asks, laughing. "Wow. I thought you made him up, Derek."

…Amy knows about Chuck?

_Derek_ told _Amy_ about our Chuck?

Oh God, I did I seriously just say _our_ Chuck?

-¤-

"So, how was the afternoon?" Amy asks with a laugh, as she climbs into the passenger seat of my Jeep. Edwin and Marti are sitting in the backseat. Casey and Andrew had taken Casey's car back to our house.

"How did it look?" Marti snorts.

"Hilarious." Edwin answers, chuckling.

Amy laughs, "Did you see the look on Casey's face when I asked about Chuck?"

"Yeah." I say, turning towards her. "You could have blown our cover."

"Oh please." Amy says, rolling her eyes. "If anything, Casey's just going to get jealous because she thinks that you have told her everything about your life…even the things that you two experienced together."

"Wow, Amy." Edwin says, "That was very philosophical of you."

Amy wrinkles her nose, breaking into a grin. "Thanks! I guess being a psych major pays off."

"And it makes sense." Marti says approvingly.

Edwin nods, as we pull out of the parking lot, Casey's off-white, Beetle convertible following after us. "So, when are you guys going to drop the charade?"

Amy shrugs, "Before Casey gets married, I'd hope." She says, "And…Daniel gets home right around the time of their wedding. So I have to be home when he gets home."

"I have to kick it up a notch." I declare. "I have to make Casey _sickly_ jealous. So jealous, in fact, that she wants to rip the clothes right off of me and take me right in front of everyone at the dinner table, including a very oblivious Andrew, who would think that we were showing a random act of sibling love…very hot, step-sibling love."

"Derek!" Marti, Edwin, and Amy all exclaim.

"Innocent ears!" Marti cries out.

My eyes widen. I seriously did just say that in front of my little brother, little sister, _and_ fake fiancé.

I am a _sick_, sick man.

"Sorry, sorry." I mutter.

Amy changes the subject, turning towards me, "_So_, how do you plan on 'kicking it up a notch'?"

An idea pops in my head, and I feel a grin spreading out on my face.

Edwin leans over the seat to look at me, before turning to Amy. "I know that grin, that is a _bad_ grin."

Amy cringes, nodding, "Yeah. I know."

Marti laughs, clapping her hands together. "I love it!"

Amy's eyes widen and she turns to face her, "Just how twisted are you?"

"Oh," Edwin says darkly, "_very_."

-♥-

"So, that was crazy today, wasn't it?" Andrew asks, as he lies on my bed, watching me brush my hair.

"Yeah," I say, "I didn't expect to ever see Chuck again."

He laughs, "How did you know him in the first place?"

My heart sinks, as I think of all the memories Derek and I had with Chuck.

"Uh…high school." I answer, "I went out on a date with him."

Andrew's eyes widen, "You _dated_ him? Casey, why?"

"It was a bet." I say, cringing.

Well, it's not a _total_ lie.

Andrew smirks, "I see. Well, he is a total jerk."

I laugh, "He's kind of misunderstood."

"_Kind of_?" Andrew asks, his voice squeaking.

I sit my brush down and lean over my bed to give him a kiss. He pulls me down beside me and kisses me deeply as I wrap my arms around his neck.

All thoughts of Chuck and Derek fly out the window.

-¤-

"How far do I have to go?" Amy groans as we prepare to head downstairs for dinner.

I shrug, "A kiss on the cheek, ruffle my hair; nothing _too_ drastic."

"Well, duh." Amy says, rolling her eyes. "Just a cheek though, I am _never_ aiming for the lips."

"Good." I declare, "I don't_ want_ you to."

"Which is great, because I don't _want_ to." Amy fires back.

I roll my eyes and throw my arm around her shoulders, making our way towards the stairs, "Let's rock this bitch."

Amy glances up at me, laughing. "Never say that again."

"Hi Derek, Amy!" Nora says, smiling as she sits down at the table.

Casey and Andrew are directly across from the only two available seats at the table.

_Oh_, the possibilities!

"Hey Nora." Amy says happily, sitting in the chair directly across from Andrew.

This means, that I have to sit directly across from Casey…all the more perfect, actually.

I sit down and Casey glances up at me momentarily, causing my heart to sink and my stomach to tighten.

Her eyes shift back down towards her plate as the family begins to eat.

Andrew begins an animated conversation about something that happened on his dad's yacht last summer, and I am suddenly in a need for social power.

I really just always need the attention on me, it's a problem.

"Amy, you look gorgeous tonight." I say, and nuzzle my face against her cheek.

Well, this is already awkward.

Amy bursts out laughing. She's the most ticklish person I have _ever_ met.

"Thanks babe." She says, immediately jumping into her role as the 'doting fiancé'. "I got this dress at Marc Jacobs."

For the record: Amy's never stepped foot in Mark Jacobs. In fact, she hates everything that high-end stores stand for and everything in them.

"Amy," Dad cuts in, "wasn't it you that, just over Christmas, said that just one dress from that store could buy a whole batch of kids in a third world country school books?"

Amy's face holds a deer-in-the-headlights expression. "Well…yes. But, I decided to splurge just once." She says, holding a small smile.

"Humph," is the sound coming from Casey's lips.

Nora smiles at Amy politely, "Every girl should do that from time to time."

"Then where is my trip to Mark Jacobs?" Marti pipes up, whipping her head towards Nora.

Nora gives Marti a pat on the head, "Sometime this summer, maybe."

"Fine." Marti pouts. "But we're going to Chanel, not Mark Jacobs."

"Okay." Nora laughs.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amy shoot a look towards Casey. Next thing I know, her fingers are raking through my hair and her head is resting on my shoulder.

Casey's eyes narrow.

This is _perfect_.

-♥-

Amy shops at Chanel & Mark Jacobs, Amy goes to an Ivy League school, Amy is _perfect_.

I _hate_ her.

I watch as she pecks him on the cheek and ruffles his hair, turning and grinning at the family, her nose is wrinkled and her smile is wide, showcasing her toothpaste-ad-perfect teeth.

Derek turns towards her and smiles as if she is the only person in the room.

I remember that look; it used to be _my _look.

She steals _everything_.

Derek is marrying a thief! I'm not sure if he's aware of this.

I find my hand resting delicately on Andrew's shoulder, and I lean in and nibble on his ear.

Derek raises an eyebrow and slides an arm over Amy's shoulder.

_Oh, you want a war, Mr. Venturi?_

I kiss Andrew lightly on the corner of his mouth, my eyes looking straight into Derek's.

Andrew glances at me suspiciously, "Babe, what are you doing?" he asks quietly, as to not disrupt the entire table.

Like it matters, I'm sure they're all staring at us by now.

Especially since Derek is now massaging his hand over Amy's shoulder and mumbling into her ear, while she laughs.

I turn and grab Andrew into a heated kiss.

Andrew shoves me off, "Casey, what are you doing?" he hisses.

"Not going to kiss your own fiancée, Andrew?" Marti asks, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"Well, I believe that some things are meant to be behind closed doors." Andrew explains.

"So, you're opposed to PDA?" Amy asks.

Andrew gives her a confused expression, "_PDA_…?"

"Public display of affection." Edwin and Lizzie both wind up saying, complete with matching eye rolls.

"Oh." Andrew says, "Then yes, I am deeply opposed to public displays of affection."

Amy smirks, "I'm not." She says before leaning in and kissing Derek's neck.

Derek's eyes widen and he glances down at her, as does the rest of the table. She breaks away from his neck and grins at him, raising her eyebrows.

Derek mouths something to her that I can't read, and she mouths something else that looks like 'it's okay'.

Next thing I know, their lips are locked. And I can feel my stomach churning.

-¤-

**Okay, I definitely didn't plan that ending…lol**

**Anyways, I wrote the better-half of this chapter while listening to Fergie: The Dutchess and drinking a Starbucks strawberries & cream frappuccino (YUM!)**

**Anyways, like I said, I promise to update while my friend is here!**

**Hope you liked it! **

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	9. Those Damn SunChips!

**Hey everybody!**

**Thank you SO much for all of the reviews! That is the largest amount of reviews I have gotten for one chapter, so thank you very much! You guys rock!**

**I'm back from Denver with my friend in tow! She's asleep right now, so I figured I'd get some writing in before she wakes up.**

**Saw Aly & AJ in concert on Thursday night, it was an AMAZING show! Aly & AJ, Corbin Bleu, and Drake Bell…it kicked serious ass. Of course, my friend and I felt really old being ****some**** of the ****only**** fifteen year old's at the concert, surrounded by kids that were MUCH younger than us. But, the show was amazing. Aly & AJ are amazing live, and Drake & Corbin are much cuter in person. Tee-he-he. All in all it was amazing…until my friend and I got lost in Denver after the show…that part wasn't so amazing.**

**HP 7 hit stores (officially) today! WOO! For all of you who have your noses stuck in the book right now (which would be multi-tasking, since you'd be reading this too), just ****don't**** spoil it for me! PLEASE! My friend hates Harry Potter (sad, I know), so I can only sneak in the chapters around her. So I won't be done with it forever. So just don't tell me what happens! Of course, if the leaked epilogue that posted online is correct, then **_**wow**_

**Oh, and one more thing…yes, I know, I'm rambling…sorry! I saw Hairspray in theaters yesterday…just so you know, it was absolutely, positively AMAZING! The whole movie was SO amazing! It's my favorite movie now, I **loved** it. And for all you Zanessa fans out there, don't come at me with torches, but I've gotta admit, I LOVE Zac Efron and Nikki Blonsky together (Zikki! Lol)! Just, the way that they look at each other in interviews, and talk about each other, there's gotta be something there :) But, again, Hairspray was an amazing movie, and you all should DEFINITELY go see it! I think my friend and I are seeing it again in a few days ;P lmao**

**Okay, wow, I rambled A LOT …and now my friend is up. Lmao**

**Without further adieu, here is Chapter 9. Enjoy!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 9**

**-♥-**

Amy is kissing Derek.

Derek is kissing Amy.

THEY are kissing each other.

WHY are they kissing each other?

Amy has her perfectly manicured hand wrapped delicately around Derek's neck, while his lips glide over hers repeatedly. She smiles against his lips and uses her other hand to rake through his hair, while he smiles in return at her.

Hands OFF, woman!

I can feel myself gripping my fork so tightly that my knuckles are turning white, a tight lipped expression on my face.

They _finally_ decide to come up for air. Amy looks towards Derek and giggles like they just shared some huge secret that nobody at the table was supposed to know about.

I glance around at the rest of our family, to see the expressions on their faces.

Edwin's jaw is nearly on his plate, his eyes widened. Marti is…_smiling_ (she does _far_ too much of that lately). George and Mom are sending them curious expressions, Lizzie is looking at _Edwin_, and Andrew is sending the "happy couple" doe-eyed expressions, with a dopey smile on his face.

He's such a dork sometimes.

"Sorry everybody." Amy says, giggling momentarily.

"Babe, its fine. You should have seen Lizzie and Edwin together at Easter. Those two went at it in front of Aunt Edna like jack-rabbits." Derek explains, sending a grin towards the family.

The tips of Lizzie's ears turn red and she stares down at her plate of pasta as if it were the most interesting, uncommon dish on the planet.

"I'm just glad you two had the decency to join us for dinner." I say snidely, glancing down, my nose _surely_ stuck up in the air.

Amy's cheeks turn a shade of crimson, and her eyes gaze down at her lap.

Derek glances over at me and smirks evilly.

He is _such_ a jackass. I still wonder from time-to-time _why_ I ever dated him in the first place. Because at times like these, I absolutely want to shove him out of a moving vehicle (an airplane, preferably) while cackling.

"Excuse me." I say tightly, and drop my napkin onto my plate. I excuse myself from the table and quickly make my way through the living room and upstairs.

-¤-

Casey just excused herself from the table and ran for it.

…did I do something that wasn't up to the fair maiden's standards? Gee, did I do something wrong? Tee-he-he.

Marti glances at me from across the table and raises her eyebrows as if to say "_well_?"

I glance over towards Amy, and she is sending me the same expression.

"Andrew, aren't you going to go see what's wrong with Casey?" Lizzie asks from across the table.

Andrew, who is off in his own little fruit-looped, la-la-land full of unicorns and giant marshmallows, shoots his head up at us. "Sorry?"

"Casey, she just left." Lizzie explains, jerking her head in the direction of the living room.

Andrew glances down at his watch momentarily before glancing back up at us, "Oh, she just had a little emergency." He hisses in a secretive voice.

"What _kind_ of emergency…?" Marti pegs on, leaning in closer towards him.

"Her…_friend _is here." He says casually.

Marti's face wrinkles up, her lips forming a grimace, "_Oh_." She cringes.

Wait, her _friend_?

That is _such_ wrong information.

I would know; I dated the girl! And when her "friend" was here, I was usually…_not_.

"It's not the end of the month." I hear a voice mutter.

Wait…that was _my _voice.

Did I _seriously_ just say that?

"Pardon?" Andrew asks, glancing up at me.

I gulp, "Huh?"

"What did you say?" Andrew asks.

"WHAT?" I ask, cupping my ear and leaning it in towards Andrew.

I…am…_pathetic_.

"I don't like this game!" Andrew cries out.

Marti cringes, her face turned away, "I don't think _anybody_ does."

I sit back against my chair.

That was a close one.

First, Chuck at the arcade, now _me_. It's sad, really.

"I'll go check on her." Lizzie mumbles, rolling her eyes at all of us before standing up from the table and making her way out of the dining room.

"_So_…" I say casually, glancing around the table. "Is this good garlic bread or _what_?"

-♥-

I am sitting on my bed when I hear a soft tap at my door. "Casey?" Lizzie's familiar voice says from behind the closed door.

"It's open." I murmur softly, glancing down at my bedspread.

The door opens and shuts quickly, and Lizzie creeps over towards me, sitting down in front of me. "Are you okay?" she asks softly.

I nod, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Is your friend here?" she quietly asks, as if it's a forbidden question to ask.

My eyebrows raise, "What friend?"

"Period." She whispers.

My eyebrows furrow, "_What_? No! Who told you that?"

"Andrew was telling us why you left." She explains.

My eyes widen, "He told the entire table that I left because of my _period_?" I ask in shock.

Lizzie nods.

I scoff, shaking my head. "That's not true. Andrew probably doesn't know when my time of the month is." I say. "It's towards the end of the month."

Lizzie nods in understanding, glancing down at my carpet, "That's exactly what Derek said."

_Derek?_

"What?" I ask, lifting my head.

Lizzie shrugs, "After Andrew said that, Derek muttered something about it not being the end of the month."

My eyes widen, "You're not serious."

"Au contraire." Lizzie says, smirking at me. "I am very much serious."

"How would Derek _know_ that?" I ask, in shock.

Lizzie sends me a puzzled expression, "You dated the guy for a _year_. How would he _not_ know when your period was?"

I shrug, "True. I guess. I just…I can't believe that he would _remember_ that."

Lizzie gives me a small smile, and shrugs.

"And, I can't _believe_ the nerve of him…just _attacking_ Amy with his lips."

"Case, they're engaged." Lizzie explains.

"It was at the _dinner_ table, Lizzie." I grumble.

"And you started to make out with Andrew!" she exclaims. "Seriously, what's the difference?"

I cross my arms over my chest and glance at the wall behind me.

Suddenly, I hear a gasp come from my sister's lips. "Oh…my God."

I turn towards her, "What?" I grumble.

"You're _jealous_." Lizzie declares, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"Shut up, I am not." I mutter.

A grin breaks out on Lizzie's face, "_Yes_, you are. You're jealous of Derek and Amy!"

"I am _not_ jealous of Derek and Amy!" I exclaim. "God, Liz. I'm _engaged_!"

She shrugs, "Okay, fine. But how does that quote go? The lady doth protest too much-"

"Lizzie, shut up." I snap. "I am _not_ jealous of Derek and Amy. Nor have I ever been, nor _will_ I ever_ be_."

"Okay…" she says, shooting me a look in her eyes that easily reads "I-don't-believe-a-word-that-is-coming-out-of-your-mouth".

I widen my eyes out at her, my mouth slightly agape, "Seriously!"

-¤-

"Bra-vo." I say in appreciation, clapping my hands together slowly.

Amy grins up at me triumphantly from where she is sitting on my bed, "Thank you. Thank you very much." While attempting her best Elvis impression, she winds up laughing hysterically.

"I just…I can't believe you seriously kissed me." I say, sitting down next to her.

She shrugs, "As evil as it sounds…watching Casey squirm was _very_ entertaining. She was getting _so_ pissed."

"Pissed as in…?" I start, hoping for an answer along the lines of-

"Jealous." Amy replies. _YES!_ "Casey was totally, heart-wrenchingly _jealous_."

I smirk, "You think?"

"I know." She corrects me, smiling.

"Casey was jealous of me." I say, grinning in disbelief. "_Casey_ was jealous of me."

Amy nods, "You should be very proud."

"But, we're not finished yet. There's a whole lot more jealousy that needs to be ensued before I can go about ripping Andrew's figurine off of their wedding cake."

"You need to kick it up a notch." Amy says, sighing. "You just have to figure out how…"

I nod, crossing my arms over my chest.

"See, if you were a _girl_, then you could just gallivant around the house in mini skirts and tube tops."

I nod in understanding, "I could always pull a Risky Business."

She laughs, loudly. "Yes, because you dancing around the house to Bob Seger in a white button down shirts, aviators, and whitey-tighties is _exactly_ what this household needs to experience."

I turn towards her, nodding my head once. "It truly is."

She rolls her eyes and swats me. "I don't know what you can do, but you need to do _something_, to let her know what she's missed for the past four years."

I try to rack my brain for possible things I can do to her.

_Gallivant around the house in mini skirts and…_nah, I'd feel too exposed.

_Kill Andrew_…okay,_ again_ with the manslaughter arrest.

_Kill Andrew…_I really shouldn't.

_Kill Andrew_…seriously, Casey would _hate_ me.

_Kill Andrew_…but maybe…

_Kill Andrew_…no, I can't. I just can't.

_Kill Andrew_…but it sounds so fun!

_Kill Andrew_…I need a new strategy.

I guess I could always just grab Casey and-

"Like kiss her?" I ask.

Amy nods, smiling and patting me on the back. "But before you do that, you might want to consider this, okay?" she says before reaching into her pocket and placing a small, plastic item in the palm of my hand and wrapping my hands around it. "I'm heading to the hotel."

She gets up from the bed and grabs her purse off of my computer desk, making her way towards my bedroom door and swinging it open.

I open up my palm and glance down at the object inside of it.

What the hell is she trying to say to me?

"Uh…Ames…?"

She turns to face me, "Yup?"

"This is ChapStick."

She nods, "I know. After kissing you, I felt like I had rubbed my lips against sandpaper." She smiles at me. "Night!"

She disappears out the door and it closes behind her.

I roll my eyes and stand up, looking at myself in the mirror.

"They're not _that_ dry." I reassure myself.

Next thing I know, I am sitting on my bed, running cherry ChapStick against my lips repeatedly. "Sandpaper my ass."

-♥-

I am still lying in my bed when the clock blinks 2:00 AM at me in bright, neon pink numbers. I groan and toss my head back against my pillows.

As pathetic as it sounds, all I can see in my head is Derek and Amy making out right in front of me. And for some reason, when it happened, my heart fell to the pit of my stomach, and I had this strong urge to rip every single hair off of her scalp.

I am more than likely the only person still awake in my house, and for some reason, I'm having a _very_ strange urge for Sun Chips.

Weird, right?

I _never_ eat Sun Chips!

Marti's obsessed with them, however. So I know we have them.

And they sound _very_ much amazing right now.

Therefore, I shall go eat some Sun Chips.

And forget about Derek.

And go to bed.

And then, all will be fine.

I'm getting married in less than two weeks, he's getting married and moving into the nearest trailer court eventually, and that'll be that.

We'll see each other at Christmas, and maybe things won't be awkward between us.

Andrew is now and forever will be my soul mate, and I just need to let myself realize that.

I sit up from my bed and pad my way out of my bedroom. Derek's bedroom door is open a crack, and I can see the light from the moon creeping into his window and sinking into the hallway.

I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen. Just as I begin to open the door to the pantry, I feel myself touching something much softer than the doorknob; something that resembles cloth.

It's heather material, very soft and _very_ familiar.

Derek used to wear these all the time.

I remember lying in bed with him and snuggling against his soft gray tee shirt that always smelled like the cologne that he wore constantly. We would lay in his bed until the sky turned a pinkish-orange and the sun began to hazily creep up farther and farther.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this, Case." I hear a familiar voice tell me.

Oh my God, the tee-shirt is talking to me.

Oh my God…it's Derek.

I jump away, "God damn it, Derek!" I exclaim.

"Sorry." He hisses. "I'm _hungry_."

I step farther back and can see that he is leaning against the door of the pantry while holding a bag of…Sun Chips.

"What can I do you for, Casey?" Derek asks, pushing himself off of the door and towering over me, his voice is husky.

"I actually wanted the, uh…"

"These?" he asks, holding up the bag.

I nod sheepishly.

He grins at me; a grin that would make the Cheshire Cat glower at him with envy. "Sorry, Case."

"You could at least _share_." I scoff.

"Eh…" he says slowly, shrugging. "They're almost empty."

"Then Marti is going to pummel your ass." I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.

"She'll get over it." He says, popping the chips into his mouth.

I roll my eyes, "Have you no self-respect?"

"They're chips, Casey." Derek replies in confusion.

"I meant about earlier tonight, dumbass." I sneer in reply.

He sits the bag down on the island, and I reach over and grab it. I can hear him _growling_ at me in return.

Tee-he-he.

"Me and Amy?"

"Yes, you and Amy." I reply.

He sighs, "What's the big deal? We're in love."

"Well, the whole word doesn't need to know that." I bitterly reply.

He chuckles, "Somebody's cynical."

"You don't see _me_ playing tonsil hockey with Andrew in front of everybody." I defend myself.

"Oh, okay. So you _weren't_ pathetically attempting –and failing, might I add- to make Andrew show you some love tonight at dinner?"

That jackass.

I drop my bag onto the floor, the chips crunch beneath my feet as I stomp on them in order to get in front of Derek. "Go to hell, Venturi." I seethe.

He towers over me, not even a breath can escape through us. "See you there, McDonald." He whispers huskily.

And that's when I lean up on my tiptoes and crash my lips against his.

-¤-

**AAAH!**

**Worth the wait, I hope!**

**Anyways, R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**PS: Has FanFiction been acting weird with anyone else? Because it's been popping up saying I only have five chapters and 138 comments, and it's REALLY confusing me! I checked out a few other stories and they're messed up as well…**


	10. Enter Evil Girlfriend

**Hey readers! So sorry that this post was longer than most! Anyways, the producer of the podcast wrote me again and kind of told me what the podcast will be about, apparently Michael and Ashley will be talking about how they read all of these fan fictions and then they are going to act out scenes from their favorites. So it should be pretty exciting! I can't wait to see OOtB acted out:)**

**Anyways, here is Chapter 10.**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 10**

**-♥-**

I, Casey McDonald, am making out with Derek Venturi.

The same Derek Venturi that I dated for a year.

The same Derek Venturi that I unfortunately have to call my stepbrother.

The same Derek Venturi that hates my _fiancé_, who I'm supposed to be marrying in less than _two_ weeks.

Oh my God.

**I. AM. A. WHORE.**

Of course, these thoughts running through my mind do not make me in any way, shape, or form, stop him or push him away from me.

Instead, my arms are wrapped around his neck and my lips are crushed against his. Derek backs me up so I am standing against the pantry door, our bodies meshed together like an imperfect puzzle piece.

I rake my hands through his scruffy hair and he groans against me, "Casey." I hear him huskily murmur.

My stomach begins to knot up and I cling to him tighter.

Why am I kissing him? I honestly don't know.

Because, quite frankly, I hate the jackass. But, GOD! His lips always look so damn inviting; you honestly can't blame me or disagree with me on this.

My eyes blink open momentarily, and I find myself face-to-face with the sparkling diamond ring on my finger.

What the hell am I doing?

I shove Derek off of me.

Derek sends me a confused look.

"I can't do this." I murmur, shoving past him and starting out of the kitchen.

"Little late for that, Case." Derek calls after me. "What's done is done, you have _officially_ cheated."

I stop in my tracks and turn to face him, "Yeah? Well, so have you. We're even, and we are now going to pretend it never happened, _o-kay_?"

Derek rakes a hand through his hair, and I swear that I see a look of hurt in his eyes.

HA! Serves him right for what he did to me.

"Whatever." He mutters, shoving past me. "Goodnight, Casey."

I cross my arms over my chest and groan, tilting my head back.

I am a _bad_ person.

My lips tingle; I can still feel his pressed against my own.

I am a _very_ bad person.

-¤-

Casey McDonald kissed me.

_She_ kissed _me_.

True, as soon as she muttered "Go to Hell, Venturi" to me, I knew I was going to kiss her.

But, she beat me to the punch-line.

HA!

And now? Now she's taking it all back.

I make my way up the stairs and into my bedroom and shut my door behind me, grabbing my phone and quickly text messaging Amy.

_**Engaged prude recently made out with dangerously beautiful hockey player in kitchen**_

I am surprised to see a text message pop back up within from Amy within moments.

Amy is_ never_ up past 2 AM.

**Aw, Casey and Sam?**

She has to be kidding. I know Amy, of _course_ she's kidding. I'm sure she's kidding. She _has_ to be. Isn't she?

…yeah, of course she is.

_**Oh, Amy, always such the comedian.**_

Another message from her pops up quickly.

**You mean…ANDREW and Sam? Oh my…!**

Is she or is she not the worst best friend a guy could possibly have? Honestly! I can't believe we've been best friends for as long as we have!

_**Amy Lanae Hunter…**_

Suddenly my phone begins vibrating against me, signaling a phone call. Amy's name and picture pops up on the screen.

As soon as I click on, I hear her voice.

"So, you kissed her?" she asks.

I chuckle, "Actually, no."

She gasps. "So it _was_ Sam!"

My eyes narrow, even though she can't see me. But, boy, do I wish she could. I am using some of my best 'evil' looks right now and nobody is in the vicinity to even be able to WITNESS them!

"Amy." I groan.

She laughs, "I'm kidding! So, what happened?"

"Casey kissed me." I reply.

The line is dead.

I wait for a reply for another moment, and it is still silent.

"Ames?"

"OH MY GOD!" she exclaims, "She seriously kissed you?"

I smirk, "Yeah, she did."

"Oh my God." She laughs, "That is great, D!"

See? I knew there was a reason why she was my best friend…and _fiancé_ (and cough, and cough).

"Yeah, I know. It got pretty heated…right up until she shoved me off of her."

"She clearly chugged too much NyQuil before bed."

I roll my eyes, "Again, Amy, such a comedian."

She giggles on the other line. "That's really great, though, Derek. But, you know this is _far _from over."

I groan, "Trust me, I know.'

"You really have to be kicking it up a notch."

"Which means that _you _have to be kicking it up a notch."

She sighs, "True, true. But, I am _not_ having sex with you."

I smirk, "You say that now…"

"Derek Michael!" she exclaims, laughing. "You're lucky I even kissed you tonight."

"Which I'm _still_ shocked about, might I add." I reply, thinking about the kiss between us from earlier tonight. Honestly, it felt more like kissing my sister. Which is weird, because I've made out with Casey _plenty_ of times and _never_ have I felt like I have been kissing my sister…when she pretty much _is_ my sister. But, Casey and I _never_ talked about that.

Amy laughs, "I would be too. You were kissed my two gorgeous girls in one night, D. This must be a new record for you."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." I bitterly reply.

"Anyways," she says, "I'm not sure what we can do. But we have to come up with something that will _really_ push her over the edge."

I nod, falling back against on my bed. "We just have to figure out _what_…"

A few moments of silence, and I hear a gasp on the other line. I can tell Amy is grinning as the words drop from her lips, "D, I am _brilliant_."

I grin in return, "That is _just_ what I like to hear."

-♥-

I can't believe I kissed him.

How could I kiss him?

I'm _engaged_! He's my _ex_! _And_ my stepbrother!

I'm sick. I'm so unbelievably, mentally ill. I have to be. There is no other explanation for my actions tonight.

And what am I going to do around Andrew tomorrow?

Oh, God.

I can hear Derek on the phone with Amy, every time he laughs at something she says, my fists clench. She's not that funny, and she's certainly not _that_ pretty. I seriously think he _paid_ her to pretend to be his fiancé to spite me or something. Derek would _never_ go for a girl like that.

He needs a girl who will put up with him and calm him down, not a girl who acts like him and winds him up! We always balanced each other out. He helped me loosen up and I helped him tighten up.

And now?

Wow. We're basically dating ourselves.

Amy's just like Derek, and Andrew is as together as I am.

You know, that is _really_ sad.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning." I hear Derek say from his bedroom. He then chuckles, "Talk to ya later, Ames."

Ames.

He calls her _Ames_.

Is that _not_ the sickest thing you've ever heard?

Okay, so it's definitely not the sickest, but God!

I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the headboard of my bed.

I glance over to my nightstand and see the picture sitting in the frame of me and Lizzie. The picture of me and my sister is not the picture that was originally in that sterling silver frame. I lean over and pluck the frame up, tracing my fingers over the hearts that are engraved in each corner, lined with rhinestones. I spin my finger around the back of the frame, opening it up as a picture falls into my lap; the _original_ picture that was in the frame. I pick it up, and even with just the cast of the moonlight shining through my window; I can perfectly tell what the picture is.

It's of Derek and me from grade twelve. We are lying on his bed, Derek has his arms stretched behind his head and I have my head on his shoulder, my eyes glancing up at him and a smile playing on my face.

I gulp and sit the picture down as one lonely tear slides down my cheek.

-¤-

"Casey's going to murder you when she finds out how much shit you've been doing to her." Marti says, smirking as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Language…" I demand, shaking my head at her from where she is leaning against my door frame.

She rolls her eyes but laughs, "So what's your next plan of action, oh, great one?"

_Oh, great one_…I like the sound of that.

"You'll just have to wait and see." I say in a sing-song voice, from where I am typing on my laptop.

"Just a hint?" she asks, pouting her lip.

"Nope."

She sighs, "_Smerek_…"

My head pops up, "Oh, no you don't. Don't think that just because you said the forsaken nickname that I am going to tell you what mine and Amy's oh-so-brilliant scheme is."

She shrugs, "Okay. _Smerek_."

Demon child, she is.

I point a finger at her, "Marti, I swear-"

"_Sm-_"

"Fine!" I choke out. "My God!"

"Our God." She corrects me, smiling triumphantly as she plops down at the foot of my bed. "So what's the plan?"

I sigh, rubbing my hands together, "Okay, so you know how some girlfriend's are really high-maintenance and demanding?"

Marti nods, "You mean those girlfriends that nobody can ever understand why anybody would be with?"

I nod, "Exactly."

A smile slowly crawls up Marti's face, "No _way_."

I nod, "Amy is officially one of those girlfriends."

"Oh my God!" she exclaims, grinning. "Casey is going to _hate_ that."

I grin. "Precisely while she'll try to break us up."

Marti shakes her head at me, smiling. "I am _so_ proud to call you my brother."

"As you very well should be."

I hear the door knock downstairs, followed by a, "Hey Amy!" from Edwin.

This is followed by a very demanding, "Where's Derek?"

Marti wiggles her eyebrows at me, her brown hair sloping in front of her eye, "It's show-time."

The door swings open and Amy grins at me, closing the door behind her quickly, "You're _so_ lucky I've taken acting classes."

Marti giggles, "Amy the Bitch, this I've gotta see."

Amy smirks, plopping down on my lap and sighing. "I should really be getting paid for this."

"What?" I ask nonchalantly, "The pride of knowing that you're helping out a friend in need isn't enough for you?"

She glances at me and scoffs, grinning. "You're kidding, right?"

I raise an eyebrow at her and she laughs, swatting me. "I'm _kidding_."

Marti rubs her hands together, "Well, I'm going to head downstairs. You guys can't hide up here forever, and I can't _wait_ to see Casey's face when she sees what you have up your sleeves."

She hops up from my bed and traipses out of my bedroom, giving us one final wink before disappearing out the door.

"_Der-ek_." Amy muttered in a whiny voice.

I send her a confused glance, "What?"

She shakes her head, hopping off my lap. "Nothing, just practicing."

-♥-

"Amy is acting _really_ weird." Edwin mutters as we all sit around the living room.

"How?" Andrew asks confusingly.

He shrugs, "She's just acting very…_bitchy_."

HA! A flaw in the perfect Amy!

"Maybe it's _her_ time of the month." Lizzie mutters, tossing a look at Andrew.

Andrew laughs, "Just because I didn't know when Casey has her monthly visit from her Aunt Flow, doesn't mean-"

"Andrew!" I choke out, my eyes widened.

He glances over at me with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong?"

"Could you not?" I ask, wincing.

He sends me an apologetic look and kisses my cheek, "Sorry, love."

"Hey party people!" I hear Marti say happily as she bounces down the stairs and plops down into Derek's beloved recliner.

"Are Amy and Derek coming down any time soon?" Lizzie asks.

"Have no fear, we are here!" a female voice exclaims as soon as the words drop from Lizzie's lips.

I glance towards the stairs in due time to see Derek and Amy making their way down the stairs, Amy's hands is resting over Derek's arm and she has a very sly smile on her face.

"Hey Amy!" Andrew says happily.

"Hello Andrew." Amy says as they enter the living room, she glances over towards Derek, "Der-Bear…could you get me some water?"

He smiles down at her cheekily, "Glass or bottle?"

What. The Hell?

She crosses her arms over her chest, "What do you think? Bottle, _duh_."

He nods and hurries into the kitchen.

Amy glances towards us and smiles happily as Derek returns to the living room with a bottle of water.

Amy glances down at the bottle and cringes. "Evian?"

He raises an eyebrow at her confusingly, "Yes?"

"I only drink _Voss_, Derek." She snaps, "And this isn't even cold!"

Derek gulps, "Sorry, babe." He says and grabs the bottle hurrying back into the kitchen.

Amy crosses her arms over her chest and rolls her eyes, before glancing at me and giving me a knowing smile. "_Men_."

"We don't have any Voss, sweetie." Derek calls back to her from the kitchen.

_Sweetie_?

Did Derek Michael Venturi _seriously_ just call her sweetie?

I repeat, _what the hell_?

-¤-

**Ta-da!**

**Again, so sorry that this update was much longer than most! But my friend is now home so I have more time to write and whatnot!**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	11. Peachy Keen

**Hey readers!**

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews!**

**Have I mentioned that I totally love all of you? Lol**

**Well, you guys should be pretty…er, **_**pleased**_** with this chapter. Haha**

**I had a sudden burst of inspiration, so this chapter is up sooner than most! It's also my way of apologizing for how long it took for me to update last time!**

**Anyways, summer is almost ending (tears), and it's pretty depressing.**

**My old school starts back up this **_**Wednesday**_**…it makes me very happy that I'm not there anymore…even though I miss everyone like crazy!**

**Anyways, here is the next installment of ****Think Twice**_**Ooh, aah**_**…lmao**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-♥-**

**Chapter 11**

**-¤-**

Okay, so Amy definitely has this "annoying-demanding-girlfriend-with-a-vengeance" thing down _flat_. She's doing things perfectly!

"DER-EK!" I hear her screech from the living room.

I groan from where I am standing by the fridge. Okay, well, I never said I was _enjoying_ her routine, but she is doing a damn good job at it.

I sigh, biting my cheek, "Yes…_peaches_?"

-♥-

_**PEACHES?!**_

Did Derek _seriously_ just call Amy _peaches_?

Who the hell uses that nickname?

Derek traipses back into the living room and gives Amy a pondering look; she smiles at him in a sickly sweet way.

"Derek…we need to get some Voss."

Yes, because Little Miss _Perfect_ must have her glass bottle of water to make it through the day.

"I promise to pick some up for you later." He says, giving her a knowing look.

She pouts her lips but nods, "_Fine_."

He smiles and quickly pecks his lips against hers softly.

Make. Me. Hurl.

She smiles up at him before glancing towards the rest of us, "Derek and I are going to go upstairs. Ciao!" she says before giggling giddily and grabbing his hand, hauling him up the stairs, cackling the whole way.

Okay, she wasn't _cackling_, but…well, if you were here, you would understand.

"Seriously!" Edwin chokes, "What is up with her?"

Marti grins evilly, "I _like_ it!"

-¤-

"Wow, Ames. You're a real bitch." I say approvingly as we step into my room.

She slams herself face down onto my bed, "I know!" she exclaims, rolling over onto her back and kicking a leg up in the air, laughing. "It feels strange though, bossing you around."

I scoff, "Oh, because you _don't_ normally boss me around?"

She shoots up in the bed, giving me a shocked expression. "I resent that!" she says, her jaw dropping mockingly.

I roll my eyes and laugh. "I'm just not sure how much more of this _alpha-Amy_ I can take."

She giggles, "You're going to be facing a _lot_ more of it, Venturi. I assure you."

I sigh, "You know, they're going to be wondering what we're doing up here…" I say, "Should we go back downstairs?"

Amy shakes her head, laughing. "This is all more of the act, m'dear." She says, grinning mischievously and standing up from the bed. She lustrously walks towards me, and smiles seductively. She reaches for my hand and pulls me up with her.

I snort, glancing down at her. "What'cha doing, Hunter?"

She wrinkles her nose and grins at me, "Just wait."

Next thing I know, she has a hold of the neck of my shirt and is slamming me up against my closed bedroom door, laughing loudly.

"Oh, Derek!" she exclaims.

WHAT IS SHE DOING?!

My eyes widen, "Amy, what the _hell_ are you doing?" I hiss.

She giggles and rakes her hands through my hair. "Roughing you up." She says, clutching my tee shirt and scrunching it with her fingers. "There will be no question as to what we have been 'doing' in your bedroom."

"But, you're _married_!" I whisper.

She shoots me a dumbfounded expression. "I'm not going to have _sex_ with you, you dumbass!" she exclaims, in a hissing whisper. "I'm making it _look_ like we did. Honestly, how did you graduate high school?" she grabs my shoulders and turns us around, so her body beats against the door loudly, as she lets out a moan.

"I screwed the teachers, obviously." I say, rolling my eyes.

Her eyes widen at me, her eyebrows rising.

"What?" I ask nonchalantly. "Only the female ones! Mr. Kaiser, the trig teacher, pressured me, but I was a tough man and I let him down easy. I just took a few pictures of myself in a Speedo, and he gave me an A for the year!"

"Derek!" she exclaimed.

I chuckled, "Ames, I'm _kidding_." Honestly, she is _so_ gullible. "Now, what do you want me to do to make you look like you just had sex with…the _master_?"

She snorts, "You did _not_ just refer to yourself as _the master_." She says, rolling her eyes.

I shake my head, "I believe I did. Now seriously, what?"

She reaches for her small ponytail and pulls it down, causing her hair to make a wave around her freckled, heart-shaped face. "Wrinkle my shirt."

_Uh…okay?_

I glance her up and down awkwardly, "Can't _you_ do it?"

She rolls her eyes, "Lazy." She mutters, before wrinkling her shirt and slamming her body up against the door once more. "YES!" she cries out.

I find myself letting out a small chuckle, which turns into a larger chuckle, which turns into me leaning against the door myself, in a fit of laughter.

"AMY!" I cry out, laughing loudly.

"OH, YES DEREK!" she screams, her body shaking with laugher.

We find ourselves lying on the floor, her body splayed on top of mine, our laughter never subsiding.

-♥-

I can_not_ believe them.

Derek and Amy are having _sex_ in our parents' house.

Loud sex, might I add.

"They're like bunnies!" Andrew exclaims, shaking his head in disgust.

Marti, Edwin, and Lizzie all turn their heads towards him, "_Bunnies_?"

Andrew shrugs confusingly, "What?"

I shake my head in disgust, "I can't believe them." I mutter, standing up from the couch.

"Casey, are you okay?" Lizzie asks confusingly.

I shake my head, "I'm fine, why?"

"You look like you're going to cry." Marti says.

That's when I realize that my eyes are watering.

_Great_. My eyes are actually _wanting_ to cry over that jackass and his perky, bitch-of-a-girlfriend.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Andrew asks worriedly, standing up from the couch and placing his hands on my shoulder consolingly.

I shake my head, "I'm fine." I say softly, "I'm just…I'm going to go upstairs."

"Ew, then you'll be _really_ up close and personal with the action." Edwin scoffs.

I roll my eyes, "Like I'm going to actually go _in_ there." I mutter before jogging up the stairs and quickly down the hallway.

I can hear them giggling as I pass by his bedroom and I roll my eyes, my throat feeling as if I have just swallowed a bowling ball.

Oh, _great_, I know that feeling perfectly well.

I swing open my bedroom door and close it quickly behind me, my back leaning against it as I crumble to the floor in a fit of sobs.

-¤-

Amy rolls off of me, laughing. "Well, Mr. Venturi, I must say, you are an amazing lay."

I nod my head, "I told you, Ames. You just never took me up on the offer."

She laughs, rolling her eyes, before her eyes slightly widen.

"What?" I ask confusingly.

"Do you hear that?" she asks in a whisper.

"Do I hear what?" I ask back in a quiet voice.

She makes her way towards my wall and leans her ear against it, "Casey's crying."

I scoff, "She is not."

She shakes her head, "No, she is. Listen."

Oh, because if anybody walks in _this_ will surely not make me look like a complete moron.

I cautiously make my way beside Amy and lean my ear against the wall.

I feel like I'm in sixth grade all over again.

But, that's when I hear it. I hear the racking sobs coming from the other room and I know its Casey.

I made her _cry_.

"It looks like our plan is working." Amy whispers, grinning devilishly.

I shake my head, stepping away from the wall. "No, our plan is not working, Ames. I made her cry."

"It means she's getting jealous." Amy says, still slightly smiling. "It means our plan is working."

I sit myself on the bed and shake my head. "I never wanted to make her cry again, Amy."

She rubs her lips together and sits beside me. "Maybe you should go talk to her."

"She'll kick me out of the room as soon as I step inside."

She places a hand on my shoulder, "You'll never know unless you try."

I nod slowly, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

She smiles, rolling her eyes. "Of course I am."

I scoff and stand up from the bed. I make my way towards the mirror and glance at myself with my "after-sex" style. "What do I do about this?"

She rolls her eyes and stands up beside me, flattening my hair a bit. "There."

I sigh and shake my head in disbelief, "I can't believe I made her cry."

"We didn't actually _do_ anything, so you shouldn't feel responsible."

"But she _thinks _we did." I reply, rolling my eyes.

She sighs, "Maybe she's not even crying over you. Maybe Andrew did something horrible, or she watched a little puppy get hurt outside…or something."

I quirk an eyebrow at her in disbelief.

She rolls her eyes, "Yeah, I didn't believe myself either."

I roll my eyes and make my way towards the door, giving her one final nod before stepping out into the hallway.

I step in front of her closed bedroom door, where a marker board with the name "CASEY!" is splayed across it in green dry-erase marker with small orange polka dots inside of each letter.

I gulp and tap on the door, "Casey?"

It's now or never.

-♥-

Derek is outside my bedroom.

He has _some_ nerve.

I gulp and stand up from my floor, smoothing down my shirt and giving myself one final look-over in the mirror before opening up the door. "What?" I ask hotly, sniffling.

"You've been crying." He states.

I scoff, "Don't flatter yourself. It had _nothing_ to do with yours and Amy's activities."

_Liar_. It had_ everything_ to do with that.

He shrugs, "Wasn't going to. I just wanted to know what was up."

I roll my eyes, "Why do you care? You've seen me cry before and you've never asked why."

"You know I hate tears, Casey."

I roll my eyes, snorting. "And you _honestly_ think that I care? I don't give a damn what you think."

Derek's expression has gone from concerned to offended in .5 seconds. "Well, _excuse_ me." He scoffs. "I just wanted to see what was wrong with you, but then I remembered that I actually _don't _care!"

I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head at him. "Fuck you."

Derek shakes his head at me, smirking. "No need to. Amy already has."

I feel my heart fall to the pit of my stomach as my eyes narrow.

I reach my hand up to smack him on the cheek and he grabs it, wrapping his fingers around my wrist. "You really don't want to go there, Casey." He whispers.

I yank my wrist out of his grasp and purse my lips, my eyes burning angrily. "Do you want to bet?"

"Oh, you know what happens when you and I make bets."

I shake my head in disbelief, "Get out of my room."

Derek holds his hands up in surrender, "Gladly." He says before turning on his heel and walking away.

I shake my head in disbelief as my eyes find themselves tearing up once more.

I place my hand on the door and begin to shut it.

That is, until Derek pushes the door back open and drags my body against his, our lips crushing together.

Not again!

I can _not_ be kissing him again! I just _can't_!

His arms wrap against my waist and he kisses me deeply.

Oh, God, I love his lips.

-¤-

Casey moans against my lips and slams her bedroom door shut behind us as I wrap my arms around her waist tightly, carrying her over to the bed. We fall against it and I kiss her deeper as she runs her hands through my hair.

Our tongues are searching each other's mouths, my hands playing under tee shirt and rubbing against her flat stomach, causing her to press herself tighter against me.

She breaks away from me momentarily, "Andrew…" she whispers.

"Fuck Andrew." I whisper, kissing her once more as we press against the bed tighter.

"Amy…" she murmurs, her eyes fluttering open at me.

I shake my head, "I don't care about them." I whisper.

She glances at my lips before pressing hers against mine once more before breaking away.

Without her lips against mine, my lips find themselves pressed against her neck as she lets out small moans and sighs against me.

My lips press themselves back against her own as we roll over on the bed so she is on top of me.

Her hair falls in front of her face like a curtain and she smiles down at me, and it makes me realize just how beautiful she is.

Her eyes twinkle at me and her lips smell like cherries.

I lean myself up on the bed and press my lips against hers once again as her body falls against mine and we roll over on the bed once more.

Her hand rests against my chest and she pushes me off of her. "I can't." she whispers.

Here we go again.

I groan and sit up on the bed, "Is there ever going to be a time when we make out and you_ don't_ hate yourself for it afterwards?"

She shakes her head at me, "No. Because this is _never_ going to happen again, it can't."

"You say that now, but-"

"No, Derek. I'm serious." She mutters. "I'm engaged to Andrew and I _love_ him. I don't love you, I'll never love you." She shakes her head at me quickly.

_Slap_.

"Then why did you kiss me back?" I whisper, standing up from the bed and making my way towards the door. "That's what you need to be asking yourself, Case. Why the _hell_ would you kiss me back if you want nothing to do with me?"

And on that note, I open up her bedroom door and step out into the hallway, slamming it shut behind myself.

Amy steps out of my bedroom and gives me a confused look, "How was she?" she whispers.

"Peachy." I mutter before stalking down the stairs and out the front door.

-♥-

**Ta-da!**

**Hope you liked it!**

**I don't start school for another two weeks, so don't worry, there will be many more updates to come before the end of the summer hits us all in the face!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	12. Search & Rescue Party

**Hey readers! Thanks so much for the reviews! I really love you guys :) :)**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 11 and here is Chapter 12! For all of you guys who are kind of anti-Derek at the moment, some parts of this chapter might change your mind.**

**And don't worry; the real story behind Derek's incident with Emily will be coming up in a few chapters…there are a few hints of what happened in this chapter, but there will be a full story.**

**My dear readers, tonight, a new era is beginning.**

**It is called, the High School Musical _2_ era. I, personally, am very much excited. And then, the absolutely BEAUTIFUL Jonas Brothers are going to be on Hannah Montana. (does happy dance) Yay :)**

**Anyways, I'm done babbling…lol**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 12**

**-♥-**

I stare at my closed door in shock, before throwing myself back against my comforter and leaving my body splayed out on the bed. Tears are flowing freely down my cheeks and my lips are trembling.

I am a horrible person.

I've cheated on Andrew _twice_. I love Andrew more than anything in this world, and I've cheated on him with Derek _twice_ now.

And then there's Derek…God, why won't he just take the hint that I don't like him like that anymore? Or at _all_, for that matter.

_Perhaps because I _kissed_ him the first time, and kissed him_ back_ the second time?_

Ugh. I'm such a bad person.

I stand up from my bed and look at my reflection staring back at me in the mirror. My hair is messed, my lip gloss smeared, and my mascara running down my cheeks like I'm an extra in an old Good Charlotte video.

I grab my box of make-up remover that is sitting on my dresser and pull out a cloth, running it over my cheek to remove the mascara that is not in its rightful place. I drop the cloth into the trash bin and sigh, staring at myself in the mirror. There is a long, thin piece of paper sitting in the edge of my mirror.

I glance at it curiously and pick it up, flipping it over to see if there is anything written on the other side or some reason as to why it would be in the mirror.

It's a photo-strip.

It's of Derek, me, Emily, and Sam. We had all wedged ourselves into a photo booth in the mall and took a ton of crazy shots.

I glance at Emily with anger in my eyes. I see the way her mouth is opened, with a huge smile on her face, as if she's in the middle of a laugh.

Her head is leaning over Sam's shoulder while mine is sitting on the other side of Sam, with Derek's head hovering about mine, his eyes looking down at me, while mine are staring down at the floor.

I shake my head at the picture in disgust before crumpling it up and throwing it in the trash.

I stand up from my dresser and make my way out of the bedroom, smoothing down my shirt.

I head downstairs and see everybody still sitting around the living room, talking quietly.

"Where did he go?" I overhear Edwin asking Lizzie.

Marti shrugs, "Something must have _really_ pissed him off."

"What's going on?" I ask, making my way into the living room.

Andrew glances up at me, "Derek took off. He and Amy must have had a fight or something."

"Yeah, because all the moans of 'oh, Derek!' and 'yes, Amy!' really sounded violent." Lizzie mutters, rolling her eyes.

"Violent in a _different_ context." Edwin states, chuckling.

"So, nobody knows where he went?" I ask confusingly, sitting down beside Andrew.

"He's a grown guy." Marti says, rolling her eyes. "He'll be fine."

Just then, we hear another set of footsteps on the stairwell, "Where'd Derek go?" Amy asks, a hint of worry in her voice.

Marti shrugs, "Don't know, he just took off."

Amy's eyes immediately dart towards me.

Wait…towards _me_?

There is _no way_ that she can actually know what went on there, she's his fiancée for crying out loud!

She glances back around at the rest of the room, "I'll go…I'll go find him." She says before making her way towards the door.

Marti shoots up after her, "Wait up!"

You've got to be kidding.

They're _seriously_ having a search party for _Derek_?

Andrew leans over towards me and pecks me softly on the temple. For no reason at all, he murmurs, "I love you," in my ear.

I suddenly remember why I can't care about Derek anymore.

Because there is a guy, sitting right next to me now, that Derek couldn't hold a candle to.

-¤-

I just keep stomping.

Yes, I, Derek Venturi, am _stomping_.

I make my way towards the baseball diamonds at the end of the block and throw myself down on the green grass, sighing and staring up at the sky.

The bright blue sky is suddenly being covered by a darkened, gray, pissed-off cloud.

Yes. Somebody _finally_ understands my mood.

"Derek?" I hear a confused, male voice asking.

I sit up and am face-to-face with Sam, who is getting out of his SUV and making his way towards me.

"Hey Sammy." I greet him, running a hand through my hair.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asks, chuckling slightly as he plops down across from me.

I groan, throwing my head back down towards the grass, "Do you remember when we used to come here all the time?"

"Yeah." Sam says, "When your parents were going through their divorce, we came here all the time."

I nod, slowly. "We never did anything, just sat here."

Sam nods in return, laughing. "We were the only two guys in the seventh grade that _didn't_ come to the diamonds to actually play baseball."

I groan, staring up at the sky as it gets darker and darker. "I made out with Casey."

Sam stares at me in surprise, "Wow."

"Twice." I continue, "First time, however, I didn't initiate it. She did."

"God, Derek. She's engaged."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

Sam shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

"Derek!" I hear two female voices calling out at me. I sit up, and Sammy turns around as we see Amy and Marti hurtling towards us.

"God, Derek!" Amy exclaims, slugging me on the shoulder and she falls down next to me, "Don't _do_ that!"

Marti sighs, situating herself beside Sam. "Don't worry, Derek. I knew where you are. Amy just hasn't ever gone through one of your Derek Venturi stomp-off's. So it makes sense why she would freak out."

Amy's jaw drops, "I did _not_ freak out."

Sam snorts, shaking his head and chuckling. Amy kicks him in the knee.

"So, she rejected you, I'm guessing?" Amy asks, glancing over at me.

I shake my head, snorting. "_No_, she didn't reject me. She shoved me off of her and went spazoid again about how we can never kiss again, when you _know_ that we will be again by tomorrow night."

"Wait," Marti says, sending me a confused look. "You and Casey have _kissed_ since you've been here?"

"Twice." Sam answers for me, shaking his head.

Marti's eyes widen and she leans over to slug me in the shoulder. "And you didn't_ tell_ me this?!"

"I would have eventually." I defend myself.

Amy snorts, "Sure."

"Yeah," Marti snorts alongside her, "_sure_."

I turn towards Amy, sending her a worried look, "What in the hell have you done to my baby sister?"

She replies by grinning at me proudly.

Thunder rolls above us and soon enough the rain is beating down.

Sam stands up, "C'mon, I'll give you guys a ride back to Derek's place."

"No!" Marti exclaims hurriedly. "I love the rain."

"And you'll love it even more when you catch pneumonia." I say, rolling my eyes. "C'mon, let's go."

"I side with Marti on this one, D." Amy says, sighing. "I love the rain."

I turn towards Sam and shrug, "Sorry. But I guess that the longer I'm away from Casey, the better."

Sam rolls his eyes, slapping me on the shoulder. "You can't avoid the inevitable, Derek. It's…well, _inevitable_. _She_ is inevitable."

I roll my eyes, "Well, gee, when you put it that way."

Sam snorts, "Well, have you had much success on calling off the wedding?"

"I've made out with the bride-to-be twice. The only thing I haven't done is pour out my soul to her, tell her I still love her, and bribe her to take me back with a Porsche."

Sam rolls his eyes. "Have you even told her the truth about you and Emily?"

I gulp, "Well, no…"

"Then you haven't tried _everything_." Sam scoffs. "Derek, you have to tell her what really went on that night."

"And what?" I guffaw. Amy and Marti are spinning around in the background, laughing and catching rain drops in their mouths. "You don't think I've tried numerous times to tell her that what she saw, and what really happened are two _very_ different things? Hell, Emily called her for _months_ trying to tell her how big of a misunderstanding it was!"

"She's still held responsible." Sam points out.

I roll my eyes, "Obviously. And she knows that, that's why she kept trying to apologize to Casey. The only person that even _knows_ what really happened besides you, Emily, and Amy is Marti."

Sam nudges his head back towards her, "Then have her tell Casey."

I roll my eyes, "Because Casey will _really_ believe it when it's told to her by the president of the Derek Venturi Fan Club."

"No, that wasn't egocentric." Sam mutters, rolling his eyes before smirking at me.

I scoff and shake my head as I watch Amy twirling Marti around while my sister's black-due-to-dampness hair sticks to her cheeks.

"Are you guys ready to go?" I ask, glancing at them curiously.

As if rehearsed, Amy and Marti turn towards me at the exact same time and the same words drop from their lips.

"Can we walk?"

-♥-

"I really wish we could all figure out what was wrong with Derek." Andrew says, shaking his head sadly. "It's always the good ones that fall first."

Lizzie and Edwin's heads both pop up at him and glance at him confusingly. "Huh?"

Andrew shakes his head, "I'm sorry, you guys probably don't understand psychology."

Psychology? I understand psychology perfectly well and _I_ didn't understand a word of what he said.

And Derek is _not_ one of "the good ones" he's the spawn of Satan.

He knows what he did.

The door swings open and the house is suddenly filled with laughter and the sound of rain pouring outside.

"We were worried sick!" Andrew exclaims, jumping up from the couch as Derek, Amy, Marti, and Sam enter the living room.

Edwin sends him a confused look and snorts. "No, we weren't. You were the only concerned one."

"He was going to make us form a search-and-rescue party for you." Lizzie seconds him.

"Guys, shut up." I mutter, rolling my eyes.

Lizzie raises an eyebrow at me. "Shut up? You've never told me to shut up."

"Yeah, Casey. What's your deal?" Derek snidely asks me.

I shake my head and stand up from the couch, purposely slamming my shoulder into his as I brush past him and start up the stairs.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Andrew asks, causing me to stop in my tracks.

Sam snorts, "Gee, I _wonder_." His eyes immediately turn to Derek.

Oh my God.

Derek told Sam.

DEREK. TOLD. SAM.

**DEREK TOLD SAM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!**

I'll kill him.

I will kill him and pummel his ass to Peru.

"Don't look at me." Derek says quickly. "I didn't do anything."

"Uh huh." Amy laughs.

Wait a second, did _Amy_ just say "uh huh" and _laugh_?

She's his fiancée…there is _no_ way he would actually tell her about what we did.

Would he?

No way. Nobody would tell their fiancée that they made out with their ex-girlfriend slash step-sister. There is _no_ way.

Derek sends Amy a worried look and her eyes widen.

"I mean, Derek's _always_ doing stuff. That's just the type of guy he is." She says, placing her hand on his shoulder and squeezing against him.

I. Hate. Her.

"Derek, doll, go get me some Smart Water." She barks out.

He sends her a sheepish look, "Babe, we only have Evian. We do have Vitamin Water, though."

She snaps her finger at him, "Fine. Then go see what flavors you have."

God, mood swings much?

Derek makes his way into the kitchen and I lean up against the wall of the stairwell, waiting to see what the "all-powerful Amy" will have for her next act.

"We have dragon fruit and tropical citrus." Derek replies.

"GOD!" Amy exclaims, stamping her foot. "I only drink cran-raspberry, you _know_ that Derek!"

Derek makes his way back into the living room and sends her an apologetic look.

"That's it." Amy declares, taking his hand. "We're going to the store." She says before dragging him out of the house and slamming the door shut behind them.

Sam glances around at the living room curiously before making up excuses to leave and quickly following after Derek and Amy.

Andrew makes his way towards me, "Let's go upstairs." He says, giving me a gentle smile.

We make our way up the stairs and into my bedroom. He sits on my bed and sighs, "We need to get out of the house."

I nod my head rapidly, turning to face him. "I couldn't agree more."

Andrew stands up and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him. My face is pressed against his polo. "I have the perfect idea."

I grin against him as he kisses my forehead, "Am I going to love it?"

"Mmhmm." He replies. "And Derek and Amy will too."

Derek and Amy?

I glance up at him. "_What_?"

-¤-

"I _hate_ being this much of a bitch." Amy declares as we sit inside my Jeep.

I groan, "Trust me, I hate you _being_ this much of a bitch."

Amy laughs. "I'm glad we agree on something." She says as we pull out of the driveway and head towards the nearest gas station.

"Let's hope we don't have to play this act for much longer." I say, pulling into the parking lot of the local Gas N' Go.

Amy hops out of the car and hurries into the store to get some evidence that Princess Amy does always get what she wants.

I pull down my visor and a folded up white strip falls into my lap.

"What…?" I ask curiously, unfolding it.

It's a photo-strip.

It's from when Sam, Emily, Casey, and I had all gone to the mall and raided the photo booth.

Casey looks _beautiful_ in the black and white pictures. She has a small smile in one, a laughing smile in another, a bearing-all-teeth one in another, and is kissing my cheek on the other, her eyes wide open and staring directly at me.

Emily is leaning against Casey, grinning widely, her head resting against Sam's.

We were like the Fantastic Four. We were _inseparable _during our senior year.

And then one mistake at a party and all was shot to hell.

"We're in luck! They had cran-raspberry, that way they wouldn't think I came off like a complete nutcase for whining about only liking one flavor and then showing up with grape or whatever." Amy says, laughing as she climbs back into the car, a plastic bottle and a glass bottle in hand. "They had a Voss too! Can you believe it? I can hardly find it anywhere in _Toronto_ even!" She glances over at me and the picture in my hand. "What's that?" she asks, leaning over and grabbing it.

She looks at it and a warm smile covers her face. "You guys made a really great couple, Derek." She says softly, handing me back the picture.

"Yeah." I sigh as we pull out of the parking lot. "_Made_."

The moment we arrive back at the house, we are face-to-face with Andrew and Casey, who are waiting in the living room.

"Hey, you crazy kids!" Andrew says, smiling at us in a way that scares me. He's like one of those creepy dads that you always see in advertisements for water parks…or erectile-dysfunction commercials.

Amy gives him a confused look, "Hey yourself."

"So, Casey and I were thinking that we have _got_ to get out of the house tonight."

Good plan! Run for the hills Andrew, run for the hills!

…but leave the girl.

"Ah." I say, nodding my head slowly.

"We're going to go to O'Malley's pub down on fifth and Baker." Casey continues, protectively wrapping her arm around Andrew's waist and glaring at me.

Andrew grins.

My head is suddenly filled with images of Smiling Bob from the Enzyte commercials.

"And we would love if you would come with us." He finishes.

WHAT?

My eyes widen and I rack my brain for the quickest getaway-excuse. "Oh, well, thanks for the offer…but…Amy and I…well…we-"

"Would love to." Amy finishes for me, grinning wildly.

-♥-

**Ta-da! Another chapter completed:)**

**Hope you liked it! R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :) **


	13. An Evening with Andrew

**Hey readers!**

**Okay, so when they say that inspiration comes from the weirdest places, you have NO idea how true that is! Because, I was lying in bed this morning, freezing, and BAM! Chapter 13 flew right before my eyes and I figured out almost every scene I was going to include in this chapter within a matter of two minutes. So try to figure out where the burst of information in this story begins, lol. It's shouldn't be too hard to find.**

**Anyways, thanks for all the reviews, I love you guys!**

**I almost have 400 reviews with only 12 chapters, you guys are amazing :)**

**Without further adieu, here is Chapter 13!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 13**

**-♥-**

I stare at Amy in shock as the words "would love to" drop out of her mouth.

Derek's head jerks towards her, and raises his eyebrows.

"You _would_?" I ask in surprise, crossing my arms over my chest.

Derek nods hurriedly, gazing at Amy in surprise. "Yeah…_we would_?"

Amy grins, her tooth-paste ad perfect teeth shining out at me.

I hate her.

And her shiny teeth.

"We would." She says. "I think it would be a lot of fun for us to get out of the house. It would give us more time to get to know each other on a more _personal_ level."

"Yeah!" Andrew says, grinning. "That is _exactly_ what I was thinking!"

Amy smiles triumphantly. "Great! Then it's settled."

No! No, it is _not_ settled! I am not going anywhere with them!

Andrew nods, and grins. "Great!"

Amy nudges Derek with her elbow and Derek jerks up, poses a laugh, and grins towards Amy before grinning at us. "_Great_."

They all stare at me, as if they expect me to agree with them on this _magical_ experience that is about to happen within a matter of hours.

I glance around at the group of them, my eyes lingering on Derek's, causing my stomach to fall to the pit of my stomach, and my throat to feel as if it has to be up to the challenge of swallowing a bowling ball. "…great."

Andrew throws his arm over my shoulder and pulls me tightly against him. "So, we'll meet you guys out here around 8 PM. Sound good?"

Amy laughs, grinning beatifically. "Sounds _great_!" she corrects him, before delicately resting her hand on Derek's shoulder, so her ring is popping out at me, all laughing and mocking as if to say "you could have had him, bitch!", and looking towards me. "Doesn't it, sweetie?" her eyes shift to Derek, but out of the corner of them, are still fixed on me.

Derek glances towards me as well before glancing at Amy and nodding. "It sure does."

_It sure does? Derek _never_ says that._

I nod m head slowly. "Great. Then, I guess we'll see you guys tonight." I say before lacing my fingers through Andrew's and hurrying upstairs with him.

-¤-

"Great! See you then!" Amy says excitedly, waving at the couple as they hurry upstairs.

As soon as I hear a bedroom door shut, I wrap my arm around Amy's and whirl her around to face me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I ask quickly.

Amy rolls her eyes and places a hand on either of my cheeks, _smiling_.

Why is she smiling?

This is not a smiling matter!

She just set us up on a dinner date with the couple-most-likely-to-name-their-children-Marvin-and-Melvin for Christ's sake!

But, regardless to that, the dopey smile on her face remains on her face. "You're so blind sometimes, it's adorable, really."

I give her a puzzled look. "Amy, what are you talking about?"

She rolls her eyes, laughing. "_Derek_. I just gave you the entire night to be with Casey."

"And Andrew!" I finish for her. "And _you_, my fiancé!"

Amy giggles. "Alcohol is the best truth serum, you know."

"Exactly." I hiss. "And what happens if you spill about our plan, or _I_ spill about our plan, or _Casey_ just-so-happens to mention that I'm not _only_ her step-brother, but also the guy who deflowered her on prom night?"

Amy snorts. "Did you honestly just use the word _deflowered_?"

"That's beside the point, Amy!" I say. "I can't go out to a bar with them. I can't go _anywhere_ with them. I feel like at any point they are going to burst into the chorus of _Happy Together_ and that is just far too much pressure for me."

Amy rolls her eyes. "It'll be fine, Der."

"You owe me." I say after a few moments of silence.

Amy scoffs. "What? _Marrying_ you isn't enough of a price for me to pay?"

I laugh and shake my head at her. "Unbelievable."

Amy grins at me triumphantly. "So, you'll do it?"

I sigh. "_Yes_, I'll do it."

Amy squeals quietly. "Great!"

I point a finger at her quickly. "Don't say great."

She laughs and loops her arm through mine as we make our way to the kitchen.

She glances over at me. "You know that when I said 'you'll do it?' that I wasn't actually giving you a _choice_, right?"

I nod. "Yes, Amy."

"Okay, good." Amy says. "Because, I wasn't going to give you a choice. I was just giving you those words for comfort. You would have been coming with me whether or not you had agreed to."

"I know, Amy."

Because, I just know her _far_ too well.

-♥-

"Wow, what are you all dressed up for?" Lizzie asks as she enters my room.

I whip around to face her from where my reflection was staring back at me from my full-length mirror. "I'm not all dressed up."

She sits down on my bed and crosses her legs over one another. "I beg to differ."

I turn back around to face myself and look at my reflection. I am wearing a gray, plaid skirt that falls about four inches above my knee and an eggplant colored, flowing top that I got at Forever 21. I have a silver necklace that has a long string of diamonds along the base of it on that Andrew got me for my birthday last year, and a charm bracelet that he got me for Christmas. Add that with my engagement ring, and I am wearing enough Andrew-jewelry to let Derek know who I _really_ belong to.

I turn back to face her, "Liz, I'm not dressed up."

Lizzie rolls her eyes. "You're going to a _bar_, for one. And Derek is going to be there. And _that_ is what you're going to wear?"

My eyes widen as I think about what she said.

A bar _and_ Derek.

A drunken Derek at a bar.

Me in a mini skirt with a drunken Derek at a bar.

"I have to change." I say before throwing myself at my closet.

I quickly push through things before settling on a plaid brown, tan, crimson, and gold pair of Bermuda shorts and a brown scoop-neck tee shirt, I wave them at Lizzie. "Is this okay?"

She smirks. "Perfect."

After changing, I glance at myself in the mirror one more time.

Ah, _much_ better.

"I'd lose the necklace." Lizzie chimes in.

I place my hand to the necklace protectively. "But, it's Andrew's necklace."

"And it looks _bad_ with your outfit." Lizzie adds in.

"That _you_ made me wear."

"I didn't make you wear anything! You were far too dressed up to go to a bar with Derek."

"And Andrew!" I chime in.

"And Derek's fiancé." Lizzie finishes.

My eyes narrow and my stomach sinks. "I hate her."

Lizzie gives me a sad, sympathetic smile. "Of course you do."

I sigh before turning back towards the mirror and taking off my necklace, sitting it on the dresser beside me. "There. But I'm _not_ losing the charm bracelet."

-¤-

"I don't wanna go." I whine pathetically from where I am sitting on my bed.

Amy rolls her eyes from where she is standing in front of my mirror, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "You're such a baby." She says, rolling her eyes. "It'll be fine, Derek."

"No, it won't, Ames. I don't want to go out with her."

"Hey Einstein," Amy says, throwing a rolled up pair of socks that were lying on my floor at my head. "Andrew and I will be there too."

"An Evening with Andrew." I announce. "The _perfect_ title for a horror movie-musical."

Amy giggles, rolling her eyes and glancing down at the watch on her wrist. "7:50. We better head down there."

I glance over towards her pleadingly, "Do we have to?"

-♥-

"Case, babe, aren't you going to get more dressed up?" Andrew asks confusingly as a I appear at the base of the staircase.

I glance at what he's wearing; an open sports-coat with a gray shirt under it and a pear of jeans with black Converse on his feet. His hair is gelled back with small tousles in it.

I look down at what I'm wearing and shrug, "I look fine, sweetie." I say before leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"But, at the bar back home, we'd always be dressed up."

I laugh, rolling my eyes. "That's because there was a bar _in _the restaurant, and it was a really nice restaurant. This is just a bar."

Andrew raises his eyebrow, "Just a bar?"

I sigh, smiling at him. "It'll be fine."

Just then, Derek and Amy are heading down the stairs.

Derek is in jeans and a black tee shirt, Amy is in rolled-up, jean Capri pants and a pink, white, green, and teal diagonally striped shirt.

"Well, don't you look handsome?" Amy says towards Andrew, giggling.

Get away from him, whore.

Andrew grins, "Why thank you. Why aren't any of you dressed up?"

Derek scoffs. "Clearly, you've never been to this bar."

Amy laces her fingers through Derek's and smiles, "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

-¤-

"Why hasn't the health department shut this place down?" Andrew complains for the eleventh time from where we are sitting at a booth at O'Malley's Pub.

The waiter comes to our table and smirks. "Welcome to O'Malley's Pub! What can I get you guys for drinks?"

"Tequila Sunrise." Amy orders.

"Cosmopolitan with two olives." Casey throws in after her.

"Whatever the best beer on tap is." I say.

We all glance towards Andrew from where he is glancing around the Pub in disgust.

"Andrew…?" Casey asks confusingly.

"A clean table." Andrew finally says. "I want a clean table."

The bartender laughs and shakes his head. "_Yeah_, coming right up." He glances towards me and Casey from where we are sitting on opposite ends of the table ands smiles. "Good to see you two again, Case, Derek."

Again? Who is he?"

Casey sends him a puzzled expression as he heads back towards the bar before turning towards me, "Do you know who that was?"

I shake my head. "Not in the slightest bit."

Amy shrugs. "He knows the two of you, apparently."

Casey turns to look at him once more before her eyes widen and her jaw drops.

Apparently she knows who he is.

I glance towards him too and see the way that he is smiling at somebody at the bar. I recognize that peevish smile, and the hair, and the eyebrows.

At the same time, Casey and I are both throwing out his name.

"_Schlepper_?"

-♥-

Sheldon Schlepper is a bartender.

_Sheldon Schlepper _is a bartender!

Sheldon glances over at us and grins, jogging towards us. "Hey! You guys remembered me!"

"I can't believe you work here." Derek says, shaking his head in surprise.

"Pull up a chair!" I say happily. He grabs a chair from a table and pulls it up beside our booth, so he is at the tip of the booth.

I turn towards Andrew and Amy. "Sheldon was a friend of ours in high school."

"Friend?" Sheldon snorts. "Barely."

"Hey, you sang with our band." Derek points out.

Sheldon smiles. "Oh, yeah."

"So, any other familiar faces work here?" I ask, smiling towards him.

"Uh, yeah, actually." Sheldon says, jerking his thumb back towards another guy at the counter. "Ralphie works here."

Derek's eyes widen at the sound of one of his best friend's names falling from Sheldon's lips and he jumps up, glancing towards the character at the bar. "Yo, Ralphie!"

Ralphie glances up and grins, "D-Man!" he says before dropping the towel that he was using and hopping over the bar counter and towards us. "Casey!" he exclaims, wide-eyed.

I stand up and lean in to give him a hug, "Hey Ralphie!"

Ralphie shakes his head at us in surprise. "Man, after the blow-up senior year, we never thought we'd see you guys together." He says.

My eyes widen and I quickly grab Andrew's hand, "This is my fiancé, Andrew."

Ralphie gives me a surprised look. "_Oh_." He says before throwing his hand out towards Andrew. "Nice to meet you, man. I'm Ralph."

"How often do you nice folks clean this place?" Andrew asks confusingly, glancing around the bar in disgust.

Sheldon rolls his eyes. "He pretty much asked me the same question."

"And this is Amy." Derek says, gesturing to the girl by his side.

Ralph smirks, "Hey Amy, nice to meet you."

Amy smiles, "Likewise. Derek talks about your band _so_ much."

Ralph smiles. "He damn-well better. I _was_ the world's-most-kick-ass-drummer, after all. He laughs. "Well, I gotta get back to work. But, it was so great to talk to you guys again! I've really missed you."

Derek nods, "Missed you too, man."

Ralph smirks before turning and making his way back towards the bar.

Sheldon stares at us in surprise, shaking his head.

"What?" I ask confusingly.

Sheldon glances towards Andrew, and then at Amy. "Nothing." He says, smiling slightly. "It was really cool to talk to you guys again." He says before standing up and sliding his chair back into the table, making his way back towards the bar.

"What was that all about?" Andrew asks confusingly.

"Yeah…" Amy says, glancing towards Derek. "I wonder."

-¤-

Four drinks and three hours into Andrew's fifth re-telling of the time that he met Bill Gates, I am picturing myself throwing one of the pool balls from the pool table at his oddly-shaped head.

Amy takes a sip out of her third Sunrise and she nods along with Andrew's story as if she's never heard it before.

Casey has downed a grand total of _one_ Cosmopolitan and she is now sitting at the table with her arms crossed over her chest and her lips pursed.

"Andrew, babe, are you ready to go?" Casey asks, looking towards him.

Andrew laughs.

That's all he does, he laughs.

He laughs and shakes his head at her. "Funny fiancée."

Casey shakes her head and sighs, placing her hand to her forehead.

Casey hates alcohol. She always has.

For as long as I've known her, she has hated alcohol.

Even at our parents' wedding, when the kids got to drink champagne, she refused. She didn't drink any. She simply hung back and watched the rest of us down some.

She stands up, "I have to use the washroom." She says before pushing past a drunken, old man who is weeping at a bar counter and makes her way into the washroom.

"Casey is such a silly girl." Andrew says, shaking his head as he watches her walk away.

"What do you mean?" Amy asks, dropping a few honey roasted peanuts into her mouth.

"She just hates it when I drink." He says, shrugging dopily.

I roll my eyes. "She hates it when everybody drinks."

Why do you think I've only had four beers and have been attempting to tolerate Andrew without being completely wasted?

Andrew shrugs. "I don't know why." He says, before glancing down at his empty mug and raising his arm in the air. "Another gin-and-tonic!" he declares.

I roll my eyes and groan, placing my palm to my forehead.

He plops back down at the table and sighs. "I wonder if she'll drink at our wedding."

I grip the table tightly as he the words drop from his lips.

"I'm sure she will." Amy says, giggling.

I sigh. More than likely, Amy has absolutely _no_ idea what we're talking about.

"I mean," Andrew continues, as if the world would end if we didn't get to listen to his drawling, Carlton-Banks-wannabe voice every millisecond of the day. "All she does when I drink is complain, and complain. And once she cried. And I have no idea why she would cry over that! I mean, it's like, sometimes-"

"Do you even know Casey at all?" I hear myself blurt.

Andrew raises his eyebrows at me. "Excuse me?"

I shrug. "You heard me. Do you know Casey at all?"

Andrew narrows his eyes at me and stands up from his end of the booth. I stand up as well, so we are face to…chin. Okay, so the guy is taller than me; that's the _one_ thing he has on me.

Okay, and Casey, he has Casey.

He places his hands on his hips. "Of _course_ I know Casey, she's my fiancée. I know a lot more about her than you do, that's for sure."

I snort. "Oh, I beg to differ."

"Oh, do you?"

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "So, you know what she does in the morning when she's freezing and lying in bed."

"Derek, stop it." Amy hisses, sending me a warning look.

Andrew rolls his eyes. "Covers up with blankets, just like any other human in the world would."

I shake my head at him. "Wrong. She giggles. When she's freezing her ass off in bed, she giggles. She snuggles herself up against you and she giggles."

"How would you know that?" Andrew asks, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Because, _I _know Casey." I reply, shoving him in the chest.

Amy shoots up from the booth. "Derek! I said stop it!"

Andrew shakes his head at me. "Yeah, Derek. _Stop _it."

I shove him again. "What? Your Ivy-League ass can't fight back?"

"I took Tae-Kwon-Do." Andrew answers for me. "Trust me, I can fight back."

I snort. "And you aren't because?"

Next thing I know, I have him pinned against a table in the bar. A black eye and a bloody nose accessorize my face.

Okay, so the guy can fight.

"I will _mess_ you up, Derek." Andrew snarls, flipping us over so that I'm the one pressed against the table. I jump up and swing a punch at his nose and he whips me around so I am pressed against the wall between two booths.

"Okay, guys. Break it up!" Sheldon exclaims, his voice squeaking as he jumps over the bar counter with a baseball in hand.

"What is going on?!" Casey exclaims, racing out of the washroom and towards us. "Derek, stop hitting him!" She latches onto Andrew and pulls him away, but I fly back towards him.

Amy jumps up from the booth and slides her arms through mine, locking them around my shoulders and pulling me back. Andrew dives towards me again, causing me and Amy to fall back against the table. I can hear the sound of glass shattering as we hit the mugs and glasses.

"Andrew! Leave him alone!" Casey exclaims and lunges towards Andrew, pulling him back as Amy and I get off the table.

I seethe towards Andrew and shake my head in disgust.

"Derek, stop it." Amy says, resting her hands on me to calm me down.

Casey shakes her head at me in disbelief. "How could you fight him Derek?" she spits. "All he's done is be nice to you."

"You're shitting me." I say, shaking my head at her in disgust. "I can't believe you, Casey! The guy's a jackass!"

"Derek, stop." Amy demands, sitting us down at the table.

Casey shakes her head at us, her body trembling. "I knew this was a bad idea taking you guys here. I knew that as soon as Andrew announced it."

"Well, you sure-as-hell won't have to drive home with us. We're getting a cab." I declare before wrapping my hand around Amy's and hauling her out of the bar, slamming the door shut behind us, leaving Casey and Andrew standing in the midst of broken tables, shards of glass, and Sheldon Schlepper.

-♥-

**Ta-da!**

**Hope you liked it, a nice long chapter. Lol**

**Anyways, leave me a review:) **

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	14. It's Rocky and Bullwinkle Time!

**Hey readers! Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys are AMAZING! **

**Anyways, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but there was meant to be a Shout-Out in the last chapter to ****Moonlit-Jeannie who gave me a slight burst of inspiration for one of the lines in that chapter. So thank you!**

**Anyways, without further adieu, here is Chapter 14. **

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-♥-**

**Chapter 14**

**-¤-**

Whoever decided that the sun needs to be so damn bright needs to be shot.

In the head.

Repeatedly.

I have a pounding headache as I sit up in my bed, my mouth has the most disgusting taste in it and I feel nauseous.

My eyes focus and I see Amy is sitting at my computer chair, typing away on my computer.

"Hey Ames." My voice croaks.

She glances over at me and gives me a smile, "How's it hanging, Rocky?"

Rocky?

"What?" I ask curiously.

"And I have no idea how you're going to explain that black eye on your face to your parental unit, but I'm sure Andrew will tattle on you anyways. He'll probably pull some bullshit story about how you mauled him last night while he was simply being a friend to you and offering to give you a ride home. But, you were in such blind rage that you flung yourself at him and started beating on him, and he reacted in the only way that his _poor wittle body_ knew how." She declares.

I give her a very confused look. "I don't have a black-eye, Ames."

She shakes her head at me and snorts. "Quit pulling the hangover-don't-remember-anything-from-the-night-before act. That shiner is big enough to make Hitler take pity on your soul."

I lean up from my bed and check at my reflection in the mirror.

Oh, dear God.

I have a black eye the size of a hockey puck on my left eye and I have dried blood all down my upper lip and lower cheeks. I look like I wrestled the bulls in Pamplona.

"What the hell!?" I screech.

Amy giggles. "You got into the world's greatest bar-match with Mr. Sunshine across the hall, and you lost. Big time."

I slump back onto my bed. "What did we fight about?"

She smirks. "Casey."

Oh, no.

"No way." I say, shaking my head. "I told him, didn't I? He knows!"

Amy shakes her head, holding her hands up to me, "Calm down. He doesn't know. You just went into the huge tirade about how you know Casey better than he does and he slammed you into a table and beat the shit out of you."

I shake my head. "Great. And Casey probably hates me now, right?"

Amy shrugs, "She kind of played both ends of the field last night. Like, at one point, she'd be defending you. And then the next she'd be all over Andrew."

"But that status at the end of the night?" I ask.

She sighs, biting her lip. "She pretty much wants you dead."

"Ah." I say, falling back against my pillows. "We're back to Sophomore Slump all over again."

"I was rooting for you, though. When I wasn't yelling at you to stop, I was rooting for you."

I sigh, sitting back up to face her. "Thanks Ames."

She gives me a smile. "Anytime, Der." She says softly before turning back towards the computer.

Suddenly, my head is filled with images of a _disgusting_ pink, and green, and orange coloring. "Ames." I say nervously.

"Uh huh?" she asks, turning back to face me.

I hold back a disgusted groan. "I puked all over the cab, didn't I?"

Amy sighs. "You sure did."

I feel it rising in my throat. "Excuse me." I say before rushing out of my bedroom and straight for the bathroom.

-♥-

I hear a crash followed by a "fiddle-sticks!" and I know that Andrew is awake.

I purse my lips before standing up from my bed and making my way out into the hallway, where Andrew is rubbing his head consolingly. A gray circle is formed around his right eye and there is a bruise on his left cheek.

He straightens himself up and looks at me, smiling. "Morning baby."

I shake my head at him in disgust. "How's the black eye?" I ask snidely.

His eyes widen, "I have a black eye?" he races towards the mirror into the bathroom. "Oh, God!"

He steps back out into the hallway and eyes me curiously, pitifully. "What exactly happened last night?"

"You and Derek got into it." I clearly state. "He has it worse than you, I promise."

A gasp escapes his throat. "I _punched_ him?"

"You basically used him as your punching bag. It got pretty violent. Sheldon had to bring out a baseball bat. People fled the scene and children cried." I say over-exaggerating the subject to see his reaction.

His eyes widen more-so and his jaw drops. "Oh, gosh. I really didn't intend on this happening, Casey."

"God, Andrew." I say, shaking my head. "You know I hate alcohol!"

"I'm sorry, baby." He says, staring down at the long rug that covers our polished wood floors from the top of the stairs to the end of the hallway.

I rub my lips together and sigh. "How's the hangover?"

Andrew shakes his head, laughing. "Horrible."

I smile. "Good."

He eyes me quizzically before returning the smile as we walk down the stairs and into the living room.

George and Nora are sitting at the kitchen table, discussing something that is in the newspaper. We take our seats across from them. Nora glances up and her jaw hits the floor. "Andrew, what happened?"

Andrew shakes his head. "We were playing around last night and this mean, little bartender smacked me with a baseball bat?"

I hear a cackle come from Marti, who is sitting on the couch. "_Schlepper_ smacked you?" she snorts.

I roll my eyes at Marti's remark before turning towards my parents and sighing. "Sheldon meant no harm, they were just playing around."

I hear two more sets of footsteps coming down the stairwell. Next thing I know, George and Nora are shooting up from their chairs and racing towards the subject.

Oh, great. Derek's awake.

"Derek, oh my God!" Nora gasps.

"What in God's name happened to you?" George follows.

Derek makes his way towards the table and sits down in the empty seat at the end of the table, closest to the couch. Amy stands behind him.

"Did Sheldon smack you with a baseball bat too?" Nora asks worriedly.

Derek and Amy both snort.

"Sheldon didn't smack anybody." Derek says. "Bullwinkle over here did." He gestures towards Andrew.

"And _Rocky_ over there hit back." Andrew throws back.

Derek shoots up from the table, "And I would have hit you a lot worse, had I-"

"Derek." Amy commands softly for him to stop, holding onto his shoulders.

"Wait a minute." George says, eyeing the two of them confusingly.

"Derek and Andrew got into a _fight_?" Marti asks excitedly, jumping up from the couch and hurrying towards us.

"I don't remember why." Andrew says, running a hand through his hair. "I actually don't remember anything from last night. Except for what Casey told me."

Derek narrows his eyes at me. "And I'm sure you buttered it all up and made me out to be the bad guy. Right, Casey?"

That jackass.

I shake my head at him and stare down at the table.

"Derek and I didn't know what we were doing." Andrew explains. "I still love and respect Derek like the brother that he is soon going to be to me."

Derek snorts.

"Brothers fight." Andrew carries on. "I'm sure Derek and Edwin have gotten into a fight like this before."

Amy lets out a small laugh. "I would sure hope not."

Derek nods. His eyes look directly towards me, pouring into my own as my stomach lurches. "No. Edwin and I would _never_ have a fight like the one _we_ had, Andrew."

Just that sentence and the way that he is looking at me tells me all that I need to know.

Derek and Andrew were having a fight about _me_.

-¤-

I spent the better part of my afternoon in my bedroom. I lay in my bed while Amy splayed herself around my bedroom, reading a magazine or checking her MySpace every ten minutes for new comments or messages from Daniel.

"Daniel says Hi!" Amy says happily from where she is looking at my computer screen. "And he also says that he hopes that we're having fun hanging out together."

"So much fun, in fact, that we've decided to get married." I mutter sarcastically from where I am on my bed, throwing a basketball up in the air and catching it repeatedly.

Amy laughs. "Hopefully not for much longer." She says as she begins typing up a response.

The way that her face lights up in a smile as she is writing back to Daniel is all I need to know that she is _truly_ in love with him.

Amy turns away from the computer and back towards me. "So, is this what we're going to do all day?" she asks curiously. "Because it's _really_ not working for me. You've been lying in your bed for _four_ hours."

"What else is there to do?" I ask boredly.

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, go find Sammy or something. Do something _productive_ at least."

I send her a questioning look. "Productive meaning…?"

"Derek!" she exclaims, laughing at me. "You're unbelievable." She says, shaking her head as she stands up from my computer chair and makes her way towards me. She snags the ball mid-air.

Hey now.

I sit up. "Amy!"

She sticks her tongue out at me and wiggles her eyebrows. "Ha-ha. You better come and catch it." She jumps farther back, waving it in front of me. I stand up from the bed and chase her around my room with it. I reach for it and she shimmies under my arms so that she is on the other side of me. "You suck at this game, Venturi." She says before tripping over a shoe that is lying on my floor and falling back onto my bed, the ball flying out of her hands.

I catch it and grin at her triumphantly, before falling onto my bed on top of her.

"Derek." She wheezes jokingly as I wiggle my body on top of hers.

I laugh from where I am hovering above her, "Too much weight for ya, Ames?"

She snorts. "Never."

The door to my bedroom quickly opens and my hovering body falls on top of Amy's as a knee-jerk reaction.

A wide-eyed Edwin stands before us. "I just…" he starts.

"It's not what it looks like." I say, rolling off of Amy.

Amy sends Edwin a confused look. "What do you _think_ this looks…Oh God, _no_." she says, shaking her head quickly. "Ew, no."

"Aw, thanks Ames." I say, rolling my eyes at her. She sends me an apologetic look.

"Lizzie and I are going out…" Edwin says awkwardly, inching around my room. "I wanted to borrow your aftershave."

I nod quickly. "It's over there." I say, gesturing towards my dresser.

Amy falls back against my bed and covers her eyes with her arms.

"Don't worry," Edwin says as he makes his way out of your room. "Nobody has to know what _wasn't_ going on."

I shake my head at him, "EDWIN." I groan.

He sticks his tongue out at me quickly as I hurl my basketball at the back of his head. He closes the door quickly and instead, the basketball falls through the hoop attached to the back of my door.

"Wow." Amy says approvingly. "Nice shot."

-♥-

"Are you going to talk to me at all, baby?" Andrew asks, stepping into my room. "I've been shut up in the guest room all _day_."

I glance up at him from where I lay on my bed, reading. "I haven't decided yet." I declare.

Andrew groans, falling back against my bed. "Baby, I've _apologized_."

"Not to Derek, you haven't." I mutter before I feel my heart sink.

Did I _really_ just say that?

"Casey, I don't even know what we were _fighting_ about. So, I really don't find it necessary to apologize for something that I didn't even realize I did."

I shake my head at him. "Andrew. You gave him a bloody nose and a black eye."

Andrew sighs. "If I apologize, _then_ will you talk to me?"

"I'll consider it." I say with a shrug, before returning to my book.

Andrew steps out of my bedroom and closes the door softly behind him. I hear tapping against Derek's door followed by a, "What the hell do _you_ want?" obviously from Derek.

Andrew starts. "I came here to apolo-"

And the sentence is cut off by a slamming door.

I chuckle as I can see it all playing out in my head like a movie. For some reason, the thought of Andrew getting a door slammed in his face makes me laugh.

But, I don't know why.

Andrew opens the door, "I tried."

I shrug.

"Casey, come on." Andrew pleads with me. "We were _fine_ this morning in the hallway! And then Derek and I start talking and it's like you're an entirely different person."

I stand up from my bed. "Andrew, you hurt Derek. Of course I'm going to be mad at you."

Andrew eyes me confusingly. "I thought you hated Derek."

I stop myself from responding. What the hell is _wrong_ with me? I'm defending Derek and laughing about the thought of Andrew getting a door slammed in his face like a door-to-door salesman.

"I don't know." I say, sitting down on my bed. "Could you just go, please?"

Andrew nods. "Okay." He says, inching towards the door and opening it. He glances in at me. "I love you."

I nod, "I love you too." I mutter.

He closes the door and I fall back against my bed, groaning.

-¤-

"Well, while this is _very_ entertaining," Amy says, getting off of my bed. "I think I'm going to head to the hotel."

I nod. "Okay." I say, not moving from my bed.

"Are you planning on _ever_ getting up today?" she asks, laughing.

I shake my head. "Nope." I say bluntly.

She nods her head. "Alrighty then." She makes her way towards the door and opens it. "I'll call you tonight." She says before disappearing out my bedroom door.

I lay still in my bed for another few minutes, staring up at my ceiling fan as it spins in a circle.

Casey and I used to lie in my bed and do this very thing.

My head goes back to a conversation that we had just nights before the incident.

_Casey's head was leaning against my chest, my hand against the small of her back, holding her towards me._

"_Did you know that if you photograph a fan, no matter how fast it's going, that the picture will always make it look like it's not moving at all?" she asks softly, letting out a yawn._

"_Thank you, Miriam Webster." I say, rolling my eyes and laughing._

_Casey giggles. "That's a dictionary, you dork."_

_I laugh softly and kiss her on the forehead._

"_I love you." She murmurs._

_I smile down at her. "I love you, too."_

"_When are we telling Mom and George?" she asks._

_I shrug against her. "I don't know."_

"_Let's do it Grad Night." She suggests._

_I nod. "That way, they'll be so hyped up and emotional from the graduation, that it shouldn't really faze them."_

_Casey laughs. "Exactly." She says before falling against me into a slumber._

But, we didn't tell them on Grad night.

Grad Night brought other plans.

Other…mistakes.

Mistakes that I knew were going to cost me forever.

Unless I can fix them before then.

Just then, my bedroom door flies open and a very wide-eyed, gasping Amy stands before me.

I stand up quickly from my bed. "Ames, what's wrong?"

She gulps. "I was opening up your front door when I saw somebody stepping out of a cab."

"And…?" I ask confusingly.

She sends me a look that tells me _exactly _who it was stepping out of the cab.

"No." I say, shaking my head.

Amy nods, "Yes."

I hurry out of my bedroom and down the stairs just as the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" I yell much louder than I more-than-likely needed to.

"Then you go on and get it, Derek!" Marti cheers approvingly from where she is sitting on the couch, rolling her eyes.

I pull open the door and stare at the suspect in front of me in shock.

"D!" he says happily, pulling me into a hug.

We break away and I send him a dazed, confused, petrified look.

"Hey Daniel."

-♥-

**SURPRISE!**

**Okay, so some of you guys probably saw that coming, but, whatever. Lol**

**Anyways, how many of you guys have ever read the Pretty Little Liars novels?**

**Because, if you haven't, they're AMAZING. They are most definitely my favorite books. So, if you haven't read them, check them out! You won't be disappointed :)**

**Anyways, hope that wasn't **_**too**_** evil of a cliffhanger. Haha**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	15. What an Unbelievable Gay Man

**Hey readers! Thanks so much for all of the reviews! I loveeee you guys!**

**Wow, I am getting on a roll with these updates! lmao...but, I'm not sure how fast they will get to be when school starts :-s**

**Anyways, I wanted to get this chapter posted before I started school on Wednesday, so here it is! lol**

**A character in this chapter is named after one of the (many) loves of my life, but this love ranks in the top 3.**

**His name:** Donnie J. Klang.

**Why I love him so much:** He's got an amazing singing voice, and he is positively, adorably GORGEOUS.

**He didn't make the band, but he DID receive the most number of votes out of anybody on the show, which is why Diddy gave him his own record deal:)**

**If you have absolutely ZERO idea what I'm talking about, it's Making the Band 4…which had its finale last night :( Yay for Qwanell and Willie for making the band!**

**-**

**ANYWAYS! There is a character in this chapter named after him, he will be mentioned this chapter, and he will make his first appearance in the next chapter…lol**

**Here's Chapter 15!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-♥-**

**Chapter 15**

**-¤-**

_WHAT THE HELL IS HE _DOING_ HERE?!_

That is the only thought running through my head as I stare at my friend at the door in shock. Daniel is beaming; apparently this was all "his little surprise" for Amy.

Damn him.

Damn him to Hell.

"So, can I come in or what?" Daniel asks, laughing.

"No!" Amy and I both exclaim at the same time.

Daniel sends us a puzzled look.

"What are you guys on about?" Marti asks, sliding into the foyer and catching a glimpse at who we're talking to. She snorts. "I can't wait to see your talk your way out of this one, Der." She walks back into the living room, laughing.

"Marti's sure grown up." Daniel says with a smile on his face.

I nod, "Yeah, yeah…she has." I shove Daniel out onto the front porch and hurry after him, Amy at my heels.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?!" he exclaims, staring at us as if we were refusing to let him enter my home due to some major crisis that would ensue if he actually did.

Oh…wait a second…

Daniel shakes his head at me in surprise before grabbing Amy around the waist and pulling her into a kiss.

NOT NOW! DON'T KISS _**NOW**_!

I turn back towards the front door to make sure nobody is going to venture outside and catch a glimpse of the show.

Amy's arms are thrown around his shoulders and she is squeezing him tightly as they break apart. "I've missed you so much." She says against him.

Daniel smiles, "I've missed you too. Insanely." He laughs, kissing her on the top of her head.

They completely disband from each other and Daniel turns to face me. "So, are you going to explain to me why you shoved me outside?" he asks, laughing.

"It's a long story." I mutter under my breath.

Daniel sighs. "We've got time."

"Derek, maybe _I _should explain it to him." Amy says slowly.

Before I have a chance to respond, the door flies open and I hear a gasp coming out of Nora. "Daniel, hello!" she says, hurrying to pull him into a hug.

"Hey Nora!" he says happily, hugging her back.

She breaks away and places a hand on either of his cheeks. "Wow, look at how much you've grown since we saw you last!"

Daniel grins at her in return.

"We are _so _sorry that things didn't work about between you and Amy." Nora continues.

Oh, shit.

Amy's eyes widen and she glances towards me for help.

Daniel sends her a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, we all think it's great that you've come to terms with you really are, and Derek and Amy _do_ make a lovely couple."

Daniel looks towards us before sending Nora another puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Nora." I say quickly, grabbing a hold of Daniel by the shoulders. "Could you possibly go help out Marti in the living room. She was telling me about some problem she was having with something or another and I was far too sidetracked to pay attention to what she was actually saying."

Nora nods, giving Daniel one final smile, before turning and heading into the house.

Daniel turns to face us. "What was she on about?"

Amy giggles. "You're going to laugh when we tell you. You really are."

I nod. "It's one for the books..." I carry on under my breath, "That's for sure."

-♥-

"What's going on out there?" I ask confusingly, checking out in the hallway to see if I can see anybody.

Nora is walking inside, shaking her head and smiling. As the door is closing, I can momentarily catch a glimpse of Derek, Amy, and a guy who I've never seen before.

I sigh and make my way back into my bedroom, throwing myself down on my bed and running a hand through my hair.

I hear a tap at the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Andrew." Andrew says softly through the other side of the door.

I sigh and sit up, "Come in."

Andrew opens up the door and creeps inside, smiling at me curiously, apologetically. "I'm sorry about what happened the other night, Case. I really am."

I nod slowly, looking down.

Andrew sits beside me on the bed and places one of his hands in mine. "I love you more than anything. You know that, right?"

I sigh. "Even more than-"

"Yes." He cuts me off, "even more than the first A+ that I got on a bio exam."

I laugh slightly and he wraps an arm around my shoulder, pulling me against him.

"And when he lets me, I'll apologize to him."

I nod against him. "Thank you."

"Anyways, Donnie should be getting here tomorrow."

My head perks up. "As in your brother, Donnie?"

"Uh huh." Andrew nods. "He _is_ my best man, after all."

"And rehearsal dinner is only two nights away…" I continue.

He grins, "Exactly. I'm so excited! In less than a week, I am going to be married to the most beautiful girl any man could ever lay his eyes on." He beams, kissing me on the temple.

I smile against him, and try to push the picture of Derek -that is currently all I am seeing- out of my head.

-¤-

"You _WHAT_?!" Daniel screeches.

My eyes widen and I hold my hands up to stop him. "I don't think New Jersey heard you yet, can you scream that any louder?"

"You're pretending to be engaged to my _wife_ just to make your ex-girlfriend who is engaged to Bobby Brady _jealous_, and you don't want me to be upset?"

Amy places a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Babe, don't worry. It's just acting. It's not like we've kissed-"

"Meaningfully." I mutter under my breath.

She shoots me an angry glare. "-or had sex."

"Technically." I continue.

Daniel sighs. "Look, D. I'm all for reuniting you and Casey, but did you have to throw Amy into the mix? You know how persuasive she can be."

"Hey!" Amy says offensively, nudging him.

I nod. "I know. But, if Casey marries Andrew, she'll be making a _huge_ ass mistake. She can't marry him, he's a total tool."

"And he gave Derek a black eye and bloody nose." Amy chimes in.

Daniel's eyes widen as he spots the navy circle around my eye. "Shit, Derek."

I nod. "_I know_."

Daniel rocks back and forth on his heels, sighing. "So, how long before Casey and Deputy Sunshine get married?"

"Five days." I answer.

"So, you'd only have to pretend to be with Amy for five more days?" Daniel asks.

Amy and I nod in unison.

"And there would be no kissing, touching, any of that?"

We shake our heads.

Daniel sighs. "You have my blessing." He says.

Amy winces. "Baby, are you going to be around for the rest of the time?"

Daniel nods, smiling and wrapping an arm around her waist. "I took off early to be with you."

Amy smiles happily, and pecks him on the lips softly. "I love you."

He grins down at her. "I love you too."

He's going to be here? With my family? Who thinks…oh, dear God.

"Wait." I say quickly, breaking the two of them out of their trance.

Amy suddenly jolts back, and her eyes widen as she remembers our other little white lie.

"What is it?" Daniel asks curiously.

"There's more." I say.

Daniel eyes us confusingly. "And that would be…?"

Amy links an arm through his and smiles up at him. "I'm sure that at some point in your life, you've thought that a guy was cute. Right?"

-♥-

Andrew and I make our way down the stairs just in time to see Marti hovering by the window that shows the front porch.

What is she doing?

"Marti?" I ask confusingly.

Marti squeals, nearly leaps a foot in the air, and turns to face us quickly. "Oh, hey Casey." She says casually.

"What'cha looking at?" I ask, laughing confusingly.

She shakes her head quickly; her brown, highlighted hair flying around her face. "It's nothing, really."

Andrew eyes the two of us confusingly before chuckling. "I'm going to head into the kitchen." He says, pecking me softly on the temple and making his way into the kitchen.

I wander closer to Marti and catch a peek out the window.

The unidentified guy is waving his hands in the air animatedly, shaking his head, while Derek and Amy keep nodding their heads at him.

What the hell?

I turn to face Marti. "Who's that guy out there?"

Marti runs her hand through her hair and eyes me curiously, giving me a sheepish look. "What guy?" she asks oblivious.

I quirk an eyebrow at her. "You can't tell me that you didn't see that guy out there with Derek and Amy. You can't miss him. He's the one that looks like he's attempting to flag down an airplane."

"Oh," Marti says. "That guy."

I nod. "Yeah."

"That's…um…that's Daniel."

Daniel's here?

"Amy's gay ex?"

Marti nods her head. "Uh huh! He came for a surprise visit. He wanted to drop off his wedding present."

My heart sinks as I think back to thought.

Derek's getting married.

To _Amy_.

-¤-

"I can't believe I actually agreed to this." Daniel mutters under his breath as we prep him to go into the house and make his _appearance_.

"You don't have to actually _act_ feminine or act like you have any interest in the guys here, babe." Amy says, placing her hands on his shoulders sympathetically.

"Exactly!" I say approvingly. "You can be the _man_ in the relationship." I chuckle at the thought of Daniel being with any sex apart from female.

Alien, maybe. But male? Never.

Amy shoots me an angered look. "Not _helping_, dear fiancée."

"Please don't call him that." Daniel winces.

Amy stands on her tip toes and kisses him on the back of the next, causing him to shudder.

Dear Lord. I shake my head and place my palm to my forehead.

"Okay, let's do this." Amy says.

Daniel whips around to face us quickly. "I am not doing any feminine motives." He says sharply.

I nod. "Got it."

"And I'm not going to act interested in any of the guys in there."

"Got that too."

He holds up a finger. "And-"

"I got it!" I cut him off, throwing my hands in the air.

He nods. "Okay then."

He opens up the door and quickly jumps into…_character_?

"Hiiii-di ho!" Daniel greets cheerfully.

Amy tries to hold back her laughter and turns to face me, noticing that I am too.

-♥-

"Who's that?" Andrew asks confusingly, hopping off the stool in the kitchen and making his way into the living room. I follow him at his heels.

"You must be Andrew!" Daniel says, rushing over towards Andrew and placing his hands on his shoulders. "I have been waiting for _so_ long to meet you! The way Amy and Derek talk about you, I'd think you were a celebrity or something!" Daniel has a lit up expression on his face and a wider-than-life smile.

Is he kidding? Derek _hates_ Andrew.

I cross my arms over my chest and turn to face Derek, who has his hand on Amy's shoulder and his head bent down over her hair, a smile on his face.

"Really?" Andrew asks in awe. "That's so great! I consider Derek like my brother. Well, my other brother. My real brother is Donnie. Wow, what a card he is! He'll be here tomorrow!"

Daniel nods his head excitedly. "That is _so_ great." He says, beaming.

Andrew smiles. "Based on the way you act, you two will get along famously! Of course…Donnie's into sports. Do you do sports?"

"Oh yeah." Daniel says, nodding his head. "I do gymnastics, and dancing, and ice skating. And I played football in high school before, you know, I realized that I had a little bit too much fun with the guys." He leans his head in closer towards Andrew, as if he is telling him a secret.

"Oh." Andrew says, laughing. "Yeah, I can totally see that! I'm not much of a sports-man, myself. I'm more of a…smarts-man."

Daniel grins, laughing. He turns to face Derek and Amy. "Oh, and you two made it sound as if he had _zero_ sense of humor." He flicks his hand downward and shakes his head. "Sillies."

He _so_ has to be kidding.

No homosexual I have _ever_ met acts like Daniel.

I shake my head, crossing my arms over my chest.

"We're going to be great friends." He says towards Andrew, smiling.

Andrew grins. "Most definitely."

-¤-

"Okay, well, I see my cab outside. So, I'm going to head to my hotel now! It was _so_ great meeting all of you!" Daniel announces giddily after dinner. He walks backwards towards the front door. "Der, Amy, could I see you two outside?"

I quickly get up from the table and Amy follows, the three of us heading outside.

"What is wrong with you?" I hiss as we close the front door behind us and we stand on the front porch.

"What?" Daniel asks, shrugging.

Amy laughs, shaking her head. "You're supposed to be homosexual, not _trans_sexual!"

"And I thought we said that you didn't have to act feminine?" I ask curiously.

Daniel shrugs. "All I know is, I'm going to have to hit the bottle hard to keep this charade up."

I shake my head. "You are the most unbelievable gay man I have ever seen." I say, shaking my head.

Daniel winces. "It was that bad?"

Amy grins, laughing. "Yeah. Just a little bit."

Daniel nods. "I'll kick it up a notch tom-"

"No!" Amy and I both exclaim in unison.

"Trust me." I say. "There is no need for anymore notch kicking."

Daniel laughs. "You seriously better hope that Casey takes you back after this, man. Because I swear to God, if she doesn't. I am going to get you two drunk and force you into marriage. Because I am not doing this for nothing."

Amy grins. "I'll give you something tonight at the hotel."

Daniel laughs excitedly, a grin illuminating his face. "I can't wait." He says, kissing her on the cheek. "I'll be at the room."

Amy nods. "Love you!" she says quietly, making sure that nobody inside the house can hear her.

"See ya." I say before the two of us turn and make our way back into the house.

As we make our way back into the living room, I see Marti and Edwin jumping back from the window quickly.

"Lizzie, need help with the dishes?" Edwin asks nervously, hightailing it out of the living room.

Marti smirks, crossing her arms over her chest. "My, you two make an _adorable_ couple."

-♥-

**Ugh. I hate filler chapters. Lol**

**Anyways, ta-da! Haha**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**--**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	16. Enter Donnie, the Cool Brother

**Hey readers!**

**Ugh, being the new kid at school **sucks**. I feel like such a loner as of now…and I am **_**so**_** not a loner, but when you're the new kid, you feel like one. It's very much depressing.**

**ANYWAYS, I'm going out of town for Labor Day weekend (yay! I get to visit my friends!!), so I won't be back until Monday night. So I figured I'd get an update finished before I left. Because, then, it'll be **actual **school and I probably won't get to update **as **frequently, so it'll probably be back to one chapter a week after this week. Of course, there won't be that many more chapters, because this story is pretty close to being finished. So, the last chapter will probably be up towards the beginning of October or maybe a bit before then.**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! I love you guys! So, here's a new character introduction and a pinch of Dasey for you! (okay…**_**maybe**_** a bit more than a pinch. Haha)**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 16**

**-♥-**

I am woken up at nine AM by Andrew nudging me on the shoulder.

"Casey! Wake up! Donnie will be here any minute!" he hisses towards me.

I raise slightly and eye him confusingly. "What?"

He shoots me a dumbfounded look. "_Donnie_, my older brother. Remember?"

I roll my eyes. "Donnie. Right." I roll out of my bed and stumble my way across the hall and into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

Andrew spent the better percentage of last night talking on and on about what a great guy Daniel is, and how he wished Derek was as cool as he was. ("I love Derek and all." Andrew had said. "But Daniel is awesome!")

After I have dressed and gotten ready, I meet the rest of the clan downstairs. Andrew is waiting for me in the living room.

"Finally!" he exasperates. "Donnie just called, he said he just caught his cab from the airport, and he would be here in a matter of minutes."

"Morning family." Derek mutters, making his way downstairs.

"Morning Derek." George says from the kitchen table, where he is reading a newspaper.

"Andrew's brother is going to be here in a few minutes." Nora explains. "So do your best to make him feel welcome."

Derek stares at Andrew for a few moments before quietly groaning. "God, there's more of them?"

I scoff, rolling my eyes at Derek's remark.

"_I know_." Marti throws back at him. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who heard what she said.

"You know what?" Andrew asks confusingly, turning to face Marti.

Marti sends him back a sarcastic, close-lipped smile. "Oh, nothing."

The doorbell rings and Andrew leaps up to answer it. "That's my brother Donnie." He gushes, smiling happily.

Andrew has to be his brother's biggest fan.

Donnie, however, is clearly Andrew's _polar_ opposite.

Andrew swings open the door and the family is faced with a tall boy with tan skin and curly brown hair that comes to his ears.

"Don!" Andrew says, pulling his brother into a hug.

Donnie chuckles slightly, patting him back. "Hey Drew."

The pair break apart and Andrew turns towards the family, showcasing his brothers. "Everybody, this is my baby brother Donnie."

-¤-

I like him already.

Donnie is _clearly_ Andrew's polar opposite. Therefore, we should get along famously.

Donnie makes his way towards the rest of the family, dropping his duffle bag and garment bag that contains his suitcase on the floor. He makes his way over towards Casey first.

"Hey Case, good to see ya." He says, pulling her into a hug.

She hugs him back, smiling. "Good to see you too."

"You know, it's not too late to back out of marrying my brother." He says, jokingly.

Casey laughs, but I apparently take it in a _much_ more serious context.

"That's what I've been telling her all week." I mutter.

Donnie laughs, turning towards me. "You must be Derek."

I nod. "You're right."

He grins. "Hey, I'm Donnie." He says, throwing his hand out to shake mine.

I shake it and give him my classic smirk. "Good to meet you. We all just _love_ Andrew." I say, a hint of sarcasm in my voice.  
I can tell that Donnie hints the sarcasm in my voice, because he grins. "Yeah, so does our family." He says, the sarcasm seeping into me.

I grin. "We're going to get along." I mutter towards him.

He nods in agreement. "Most definitely."

-♥-

"Donnie gets along with the whole family!" Andrew whispers towards me. The two of us are standing by the staircase, watching as Donnie talks animatedly to the rest of the family in the living room.

Marti is sitting beside him, smiling and glancing over at him every-so-often.

Donnie is _insanely_ good looking, so it's clear why Marti would be interested in him. He continuously looks down at her and smirks as well.

"How old is Donnie, again?" I whisper to Andrew.

"He just graduated high school this year." Andrew whispers back. "Don't you remember? You went to his graduation."

My mind floods back to the night of Andrew's graduation. I can see a _lot_ of black robes.

"Right." I say, nodding slowly.

"Why?" he asks.

I shrug. "Well, it seems like he's interested in Marti, and I _think_ she likes him too."

"She's 12." He says in disbelief to me.

I roll my eyes. "She's going to be fifteen in two weeks." I toss back.

"Right. Sorry."

Derek has been chatting up Donnie _all_ day. He's asked him what sports he plays, his favorite band, his favorite movie. He's been more interested in Donnie in the past_ hour_ than he has been in Andrew for the past _week_.

"Derek and Donnie seem to be getting along pretty well." Andrew notes, eyeing the pair of them as they converse.

I nod in agreement.

"That's good. That means that Derek will have somebody to talk to at family get-togethers and whatnot."

Derek? At family _get-togethers?_

HA!

"Yeah." I agree. "Sure."

"So, Andrew tells me you're engaged as well?" Donnie questions towards Derek.

Derek sends him a puzzled look at first. "I am?"

_Wait…what?_

Donnie laughs. "Shouldn't you know?"

Derek shakes his head quickly, a sheepish smile hitting his face. "I mean, yeah. I am. Her name's Amy. You'll probably meet her later on today."

"She's _awesome_." Marti says, grinning widely.

_She's_ awesomeMarti's voice –although much more high pitched and annoying- rings back in my head.

Ugh. I hate Amy.

-¤-

The doorbell rings at 1 PM and I open the door only to see Amy and Daniel standing in front of me.

"Hey baby." Amy coos, pulling me into a hug.

I glance over at Daniel, who is still standing on the porch, rolling his eyes towards us.

I stick my tongue out at him in return and he laughs.

"Hey you two! Come on in. I want you to meet Donnie."

"Oh my God." Amy mutters towards me. "There's another one?"

I shake my head at her. "Just you wait." I grin at her mischievously and she eyes me confusingly.

"Donnie," I say as we step inside, "this is my fiancée Amy, and my good friend Daniel."

"Hey." Amy says cheerfully, waving at Daniel.

Daniel pulls out a playful grin. "Well, hello there. Cutie."

I hear the hint of disgust in Daniel's voice as he says the word "cutie" but the fact that he said the word by itself makes me chuckle, as well as Amy.

Donnie sends Daniel a confused smile momentarily before smiling at the two. "Hey. I'm Donnie, Andrew's brother."

"Andrew is _amazing_." Amy gushes sarcastically. "We all just love him."

Donnie laughs. "As do we back home."

"Single?" Daniel blurts out.

Donnie eyes him confusingly. "Pardon?"

"You. Single?" Daniel repeats.

Amy's silent chuckle comes out like a snore and she leans against me for support to hide her laughter.

Donnie's face holds a floored expression. "Yeah…but I kind of play a different-"

"Ah. You play for the _opposite_ team." Daniel says, nodding. "I get it. I play for the…_same_ team." His face momentarily cringes as the words drop from his lips.

A loud laugh escapes from Amy, and causes the entire family to stare at her.

Including me.

And Casey.

"I'm sorry." Amy says quickly, brushing the smile off of her face. "It's just, I still haven't gotten used to Daniel being…you know…_gay_." She whispers the word gay as if somebody in the living room doesn't know what it means.

Of course, knowing Andrew's virgin-ears, he might not know what the word means. But, he should.

Because he clearly is, you know, gay. He's just dating Casey to piss me off.

Yeah, that's why.

Daniel shrugs. "Sometimes, I still don't believe it." He chuckles half-heartedly before turning to Donnie. "Sorry if I freaked you out."

Donnie shakes his head at him. "Nah, don't worry about it. My best friend back home is gay. He came out in sophomore year. And I've been around him and his boyfriends before, and you just get used to it after awhile."

Daniel gives him a small smile. "Well, do you now?" he asks, laughing nervously.

He nods. "So, don't worry about creeping me out. I'm pretty laid back about the whole thing."

Andrew scoffs, shaking his head. "I don't know how _anybody_ can be okay with being gay."

What?

The majority of the room stiffens as we all turn towards Andrew.

"Andrew, I can't believe you just said that." Casey hisses towards him.

He shrugs. "I'm sorry, but it's true." He quickly turns towards Daniel. "Sorry, Dan. No offense or anything."

Donnie shakes his head at Andrew before turning towards Daniel. "Don't worry about my brother, he tends to be a close-minded jackass sometimes."

"I do not!" Andrew defends himself. "I am _so_ not close-minded."

Donnie scoffs. "Yeah, okay, Mr. Hall-Monitor-Every-Year-Since-Grade-Six. You're the one who posted the ban on dancing and closer than a foot apart and school dances. Thanks to that, I spent my prom Frankenstein-ing it with my date."

Marti stiffens slightly at the word 'date' coming from Donnie's mouth. But, it quickly fades.

Oh, God.  
Marti has a crush on the other Wilder.

She always did have good taste.

-♥-

Andrew decides that he and Donnie need to go spend some "bonding time" with each other, so they headed out to downtown London to go check out the batting cages.

I guess that Donnie will hit some balls while Andrew…re-reads the Lord of the Rings for the fifth time.

God, what is wrong with me?

All day, all of these smart-ass remarks about Andrew have been flying through my head.

Oh, God. Derek's wearing off on me.

"I'm really sorry about what Andrew said." I say towards Daniel, making my way towards him, Amy, and Derek.

Daniel shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it by now. There are a lot of narrow people in this world."

I don't even tense at the fact that Daniel called Andrew narrow. I guess, because I know it's true.

But, I _never_ expected Andrew to say that he hates gay people. _Ever_.

"I'm going to head upstairs." Derek says, sending me a slight look before brushing past us and making his way up the stairs.

That look said something.

I'm not sure what, but it wasn't just _a look_, it was a _signal_.

Amy sighs. "Well, I figured I would go show Daniel the arcade anyways, so I guess we'll just head out. Bye babe." She says towards Derek, who waves in return, before nudging Daniel. The two head out of the house, leaving me standing alone in the living room.

Marti had gone with Lizzie and Nora to go check out the last minute arrangements for the reception hall, and Edwin and George had gone to get re-fitted for their tuxedos for the wedding.

I sigh and head up to my room, deciding to squeeze in some alone time before the house gets invaded with the hustle of the family.

I stop in front of Derek's closed door.

I can't go inside.

I begin to walk towards my room but I stop again.

I shake my head.

"Snap out of it." I whisper towards myself.

But, all I can see is his lips. And all I can smell is his scent. And all that I can sense is his arms wrapped around me.

That's when the door opens up, and I am face-to-face with Derek.

I back away slightly, but I don't avert my gaze.

"Well?" he asks.

I cross my arms over my chest. "Well, what?"

He smirks, nodding his head back towards his room. "Are you coming in or what?"

-¤-

Casey read the look.

I _know_ that she knew what that look meant.

She was upstairs a few moments after I sent it. And she was in my room a few milliseconds after that.

The moment the words "are you coming in or what?" dropped from my lips, she sent me a look as well.

I wound up mauling her in our hallway before the two of us staggered back into my room and slammed the door shut behind us.

I press her up against the closed door, my lips pressing against hers urgently.

She presses herself against me tighter, until she is lifted off the ground and her legs are wrapped around my waist. Her ankles are locked against one another to keep her steady on me.

Her arms wrap around my neck tightly as I stagger back to my bed, the two of us falling on top of it.

She rolls us over so that I am on top of her and she pressed her lips against mine again, her hands toying with the bottom of my shirt, pulling it up.

_Yes. _I say to myself. _Yes. Yes. Yes._

I have wanted this to happen again since I was 18 years old, and now it finally is.

I immediately lunge my lips down to her neck, attacking her hungrily. I am nipping and sucking, making sure that my territory is marked. She moans against me, her body squirming.

Take _that_, Andrew. I bet you've _never_ gotten her to do that.

My hands press into her back, reaching under her shirt. I stare up at her, my eyes pouring into hers, waiting for the answer as to whether or not I should be going on.

She nods, her blue eyes twinkling. "Yes." She whispers, leaning up and pressing her lips against mine once more.

And that's all it takes for our clothes to wind up in a heap on my floor.

-¤-

**Satisfied, my Dasey lovers?...lmao**

**Anyways, I won't probably update again until the end of next week.**

**But, who knows? Another burst of inspiration might creep up on me pretty quickly. Haha**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	17. The Bed Sheet Napper

**Hey you guys! Thanks so much for the reviews! Chapter 16 held the largest number of reviews TO DATE for this story. So thank you SO MUCH! I love you guys!**

**Okay, I'm back for an update. Lol…like this one, most updates will be out closer too or during the weekends from now on just because I pretty much don't have much time to write otherwise.**

**School is still a very lonely road as of now, so that's pretty depressing. Haha**

**Anyways, last chapter, halfway through it, I decided to make Donnie out to be the younger brother for a plan that I had later on in the story. I scanned to make sure that I had gotten rid of the thing that made him be the older brother, but I didn't find it. You guys remembered, though, so thanks. Haha….to clear that up, Donnie is the YOUNGER brother, not the OLDER brother.**

**OH, and I wrote the producer for the LWD podcast to see what the status is. He hasn't written back yet, but by next chapter I should have an update for you all :)**

**Without further adieu, here is Chapter 17.**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 17**

**-♥-**

My eyes flutter open in time to see the sun setting in the window across from my bed.

But, this isn't my bed.

It's _Derek's_ bed.

Derek has his arm lazily wrapped around my waist, pressing me closer against him.  
Oh my God, I had _sex_ with Derek.

I committed the _ultimate_ relationship sin. This is worse than kissing, and hugging, and doing _any_ form of foreplay. This is _sex_, with my ex-_boyfriend._

I am a bad, bad person.

I sit up in bed and run my hands through my hair. I glance down at what is underneath my sheet.

Just like I expected…_nothing_.

I shake my head. "Oh my God." I mutter.

Derek sits up beside me, yawning.

"Hey." He says, smiling towards me.

I shake my head. "We had sex." I whisper.

He nods, "I am aware of that."

I shake my head again, "No, Derek. You don't understand." I stand up from the bed, pulling the sheet off with me so it wraps around me like a dress, leaving Derek stranded on my bed in his boxers. He's always had this thing about sleeping in the nude, he _hates _it. Apparently, I don't. "_We_," I point back and forth between the two of us, "had _sex_."

Derek nods slowly. "And?"

I throw my head back and rake my hands through my hair. "You are _so_ kidding me. We committed adultery."

Derek chuckles, shaking his head.

That jackass!

I throw a nearby shoe at his head, and it winds up hitting his biceps. His beautifully toned biceps… "Stop _laughing_!"

Derek shakes his head. "Casey, this wasn't the first time."

"For _sex_ it is. The other times, we've just kissed. But this time…" I stop, shaking. "No. I can't even bring back _up_ what we did. I have to go, I have to…" I drift off, making my way towards the door and swinging it open; escaping from the memories and from Derek.

-¤-

Casey and I slept together.

That's it. Plain and simple. We slept together.

She cheated on Mr. Rogers and I cheated on…

Nobody. I guess I forgot that I'm not really engaged.

Therefore, that makes me free and not an adultery-committer.

What would you call that? An adulteress?

Adulter--?

Oh, whatever. Who cares?

Honestly, it was perfect. To me, at least.

I had wanted to be with Casey ever since the break-up. And I know that that had to play in why she scampered out of here so quickly.

My head floods full of memories from that evening.

"_Derek?"_

"_Casey, I-"_

"_EMILY?"_

"_Oh…hey Casey."_

"_How could you!?"_

"_No, Casey, it's not what-"_

"_Save it, Derek. I hate you! I hate you so fucking much. Go to hell."_

I'll never for get the way her voice crackled with tears, or how her body shook from anger. She had stomped out of my room and slammed her bedroom door shut.

And I'll never forget the sickly annoying, giggly, drunken voice of Emily Davis that endlessly rings in my ears each day, taunting me.

After a day long silent treatment, Casey and I broke up at one o'clock in the morning, and she was gone by 8 AM.

Perhaps I should be recapping this for you…

_I was lying in my bed throwing a basketball up in the air and catching it in my hands when there was a tap at the door._

_The door swung open and Casey appeared, smiling at me. "Hey." She said softly, placing herself on my bed and laying up against me._

_I kissed her on the forehead. "Hey you." I said, softly._

"_I can't believe we graduated." She whispered, shaking her head against my chest._

"_And our secret will officially be no longer in less than twenty-four hours."_

_Casey grinned beside me. "It'll be really great." She murmured, "Having everybody finally know."_

_I nodded. "I know."_

"_How do you think they'll take it?" she asked._

_I shrugged. "Well, I hope."_

_She smiled, laughing. "Me too." She leaned up and chastely pressed a kiss on my lips._

"_We could always have just an ounce of fun before Sammy's party." I whispered._

_She nodded slowly. "Yeah, we could."_

"_You think?" I asked against her lips. _

_She nodded, giggling as we fell back against my pillows. "Uh huh."_

My memories are cut short by the sound of the front door opening.

"Babe, I'm back!" Andrew's voice rings out through the house.

I groan and hurl myself back against my bed.

-♥-

The moment I hear Andrew's voice cheerfully sing throughout the house, my stomach sinks.

I can't face him. There is no way on this planet that I can face him after what I did.

And the weirdest thing about this whole thing is… I don't _want_ to see him.

All I can picture in my head right now is Derek.

And isn't _that _a scary thought.

I jump up from my bed and scamper towards my closet, throwing on the quickest tee-shirt and pair of pants that I can find. When I glance at myself, I see that I am wearing a maroon tee shirt with bright blue yoga pants.

_Wow_.

I shrug it off and throw my hair into a ponytail before flopping back on my bed and grabbing a magazine.

My door opens up and I look up from the magazine that I am so obviously not reading (it may just be upside down) and towards Andrew. "Hey baby." I say meekly.

He smiles softly. "Hey, baby. How was your day?"

_Well, the highlight of the day would have to be the part where I jumped my ex-boyfriend's bones…but I'm sure there are other important facts that I just can't get to at the moment._

"Pretty dull, actually." I lie, laughing sheepishly. "How about yours?"

He shrugs. "It wasn't too bad. It's really great having Donnie here."

I nod slowly, smiling. "That's great, baby." I nearly cringe as the words drop from my lips for reasons that I can't describe.

Andrew's eyes wander towards a certain object in my room, and begin to fixate on the object.

I eye him confusingly, "What is it?"

"What's that?" he points towards the object.

I glance over in his direction and see myself staring at Derek's wadded up, navy blue bed sheet that is in front of my closet.

"A sheet." I say casually. "Not sure how it got there."

Andrew eyes me quizzically before laughing. "You are so cute." He says, leaning in to press a soft kiss on my lips. "I can't wait until you become Mrs. Wilder." He says, smiling down at me.

I try my best to smile back at him, but it proves to be harder than it seems. The smile I give him I'm sure comes off as forced and unbelievable. "Yeah, me neither."

Oh yeah, and that probably came off as forced and unbelievable as well.

-¤-

"We had sex." I say to Amy over the phone.

"You're _kidding_ me!" she exclaims on the other end.

I shake my head, even if she can't see me. "No. We slept together."

"Oh my God, Derek."

"I know." I mutter.

"Did she respond well?" she asks weakly.

I scoff. "Right up until she tore out of my room with my bed sheet in tow."

"Oh." She says, a disappointed tone to her voice. "I'm sorry, Der."

"Yeah, me too." I mumble. "I have no sheet. I may just freeze to death."

Amy sighs. "So, what happens now?"

"I have no idea." I groan. "I had waited for this to happen for _four_ years, and now all I can think about is the fact that she's marrying _him_ in less than five days."

"Since when did you talk so negatively?" Amy asks, confused.

"Pardon?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

She sighs. "Derek, this isn't over until you _say_ it is. And I know you're not giving up on Casey that easily. Especially after _this_."

I sigh. "I still love Casey, Ames. You know that."

"Exactly!" she says. "Now why don't you just tell _her_ that?"

I roll my eyes. "Ames, it's not that simple."

"Why not?" she asks.

I shake my head. "Look, I've got to go."

"You're avoiding the subject, Derek!" Amy hollers back at me.

"It's because I don't know anymore, Amy! I'm out of ideas, I'm out of ploys. It's in her hands now."

Amy huffs. "Call me later. I'm worried about you and what has happened to my best friend Derek Venturi. Because the person I'm talking to right now is _so_ not him."

The next sound I hear is a click.

I shake my head and hurl my phone down on my bed.

Standing up from my bed, I determine that I have to get out of this house.

I pull open my door and feel a body pushing off of it.

What the hell?

I glance out into the hallway and see Donnie standing in front of me, gulping.

"I didn't hear anything." He says quickly. "And I wasn't eavesdropping. Even though it _probably_ came off as that way."

I shake my head, too tired to even deal with it. I walk off down the hallway only to hear him call out after me.

"I'm lying, you know."

I turn around to face him, nodding. "Yeah. I know."

-♥-

"Hey Space Case." Lizzie says cheerfully, stepping into my bedroom and hour after my conversation with Andrew.

I am lying on my bed with my arms covered over my eyes. "Hey." I mutter.

"What's with you?" Lizzie asks curiously, sitting at the foot of my bed.

"I did something bad, Liz." I murmur.

"What is it?" she asks.

I sit up in my bed, and she notices that my eyes are red and puffy, bloodshot.

"Oh my God." Lizzie murmurs. "It's about Derek, isn't it?"

I sigh, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "Of course it is."

"What happened?" she asks, in a near whisper.

I shake my head. "I slept with him, Lizzie."

Lizzie's eyes widen, and her jaw falls agape. "Casey…"

I nod my head, sniffling. "And do you want to know the scariest part of it all?"

"What?"

Even as the words drop from my lips, I can't believe it.

"I don't regret any of it."

-¤-

"So, you slept with your ex-girlfriend…who's also your _sister_…" Donnie murmurs, as if trying to finish the puzzle.

"_Step_-sister." I mutter from where I am sitting on my bed.

He nods his head slowly. "That is _very_ Jerry Springer."

Wait, what?

I just told him that I helped his future-sister-in-law cheat on his _brother_, and all he can say is make a Jerry Springer reference?

"That's it?" I ask, dumbfounded.

Donnie laughs, glancing up at me. "What do you mean?"

"That's all you have to say to me? The home wrecker who's screwing up your brother's marriage?"

Donnie chuckles. "I've never heard a guy refer to himself as a home-wrecker before." He says, shaking his head. "But yeah, that's all I have to say."

"How can that be all you have to say?" I ask confusingly.

Donnie shrugs. "Nothing against Andrew, but he needs somebody a little more his speed. I don't want to see any relationship my brother is in end up badly, and I know that Casey and he wouldn't last."

"How would you know that?" I ask.

Donnie shrugs. "It's a sense. I may be nine years younger than the dude, but I know him like the back of my hand."

I shrug. "Well, Casey and Andrew might just last. I'm not going to make any more attempts on her."

Donnie simply laughs.

And laughs.

And laughs.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "And you are laughing at this declaration _because_?"

Donnie shrugs, catching his breath. "It's insane. I barely know you and yet I _still_ know that that isn't true."

"It could very well be true." I guffaw.

"But it's not." He points out. "You're still harboring feelings for her, it's obvious. I heard the way you talked to 'your fiancée'," he whips out his air quotes, "and the way you were talking is not a way that a guy talks about a girl who he's not interested in anymore."

I roll my eyes. "There is no way you can no that."

He winces. "And you may have told her that you were still in love with Casey while I was in the midst of not-eavesdropping."

I scoff. "Of course."

"So, was there a history with you two or is this the first occurrence of this and you guys were just relieving some bottle-up, step-sibling sexual tension?" Donnie asks.

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "This was most definitely _not_ the first time."

I find myself pouring out the entire story of our history in the shortest form possible to Donnie. I start with our parents getting married, to placing the bet, to dating each other."

"So, what happened?" he asks confusingly.

I huff out a breath. "I just told you the story of our relationship!"

He rolls his eyes. "I want the _other_ story." He notes.

I raise an eyebrow. "_What_ other story?"

He sighs. "The story of your break-up."

"It was all a mistake and Casey misunderstood every bit of what happened and I never got the chance to explain it to her."

Donnie rests his arms behind his neck. "So, explain it to me."

-♥-

**Ta-da!**

**Okay, so this chapter pretty much **_**sucked**_**, and I am very sorry about that! But, I hate filler chapters!**

**Anyways, as you can guess from my **_**lovely**_** cliffhanger…the next chapter is the one that you all have been waiting for!**

**Anyways, R&R and please, no flames!**

_**-**_

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	18. Emily Davis and the Kiss of Death

**Hey readers!**

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews, I love you guys!**

**No, I still don't know anymore information regarding the podcast, but I PROMISE to let you know as soon as I find out more :)**

**I have my Pre-ACT's tomorrow...so that should be exciting. haha...so from that and being stressed, I wrote this chapter! haha...I actually wound up starting on it Sunday night, and writing NON-STOP until I was finished, I was on a _roll. _lmao**

**Did anybody else notice that one of the cutest Dasey moments **ever** was in Summer School Blues? The hula hoop part...oh wow :):) and the way that they kept staring at each other. DOUBLE WOW! I squealed. Seriously. lmao...and I rewound my TiVo three times ;P**

**Anyways, this is the chapter that you all have waited eighteen chapters for, so I hope it exceeds your expectations :) lol**

**This chapter jumps between Derek and Casey quite a bit, so I hope you guys don't get confused too badly!**

**-**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 18**

**-♥-**

"I'm going to go downstairs and get some munchies. You want anything?" Lizzie stands up from my bed and glances towards me, giving me a questioning look.

I glance back at her and shake my head, returning to staring at the wall, as I had been doing prior to her question.

She shrugs and makes her way out of my room.

I can't believe I told her that I didn't regret what happened. But that's just the thing:

I _don't_.

I don't regret kissing him or sleeping with him, because it didn't feel wrong. It felt _right_. As pathetic and cliché as it sounds, it's one of the things that has felt the most perfect to me in so long.

I used to think that getting fit for my wedding gown was the most perfect thing to ever happen to me.

But the incident with Derek _beats_ that.

Sad, huh?

Only moments later, Lizzie appears back in my room, wide-eyed.

"Uh, you okay?" I ask my sister confusingly.

Lizzie sits down at my computer chair, sighing. "You have to talk to Derek."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why do I _have_ to talk to Derek?"

Lizzie sighs, her eyes pouring into mine. "Because there is _so_ much more behind your break-up than you think there is."

Okay, _what_?

I shake my head. "Lizzie, what are you talking about?"

"Well, what all can _you_ remember about the night of the party?" she asks.

I sigh. Should I seriously regurgitate one of my darkest memories to my sister?

Of course I should. She's _Lizzie._

I sigh, and open my mouth, the story falling out of my lips like a waterfall.

-¤-

"So, what's the story?" Donnie asks as I sit in silence for a few moments.

I sigh, letting the story, for the first time in so long, finally out.

"_This is so great." Casey says, linking her arm through mine and smiling widely. I kiss her on the temple as we weave our way through the crowd that is filling up Sam's living room more and more by the minute._

_This party has been slated to be the hottest party of the entire year. And Sam invited _everybody_ in our senior class._

"_Oh, there's Emily." Casey points out. "I'm going to go say hi to her." She disappears through the crowd, leaving me alone in the foyer._

"_D!" Sam says gleefully, throwing his arm over my shoulder and squeezing. "Killer party, eh?"_

_I pat him on the back jokingly. "You did good, Sammy."_

_He smirks. "And don't I know it. Want a beer?"_

_-_♥-

"The next few hours were a blur." I explain to Lizzie. "Derek spent most of his time with Sam and the guys from the team, we would sneak a few kisses in every now and then. But, mainly I hung around Emily."

"What did you guys drink?" Lizzie asks. "Or did you drink?"

I shake my head. "It's me. I never drink. And the night of that party just made me hate it all the more."

"Because of Derek?" Lizzie questions.

I nod slowly. "Exactly."

"_Don't you think you've had enough to drink?" I ask with a laugh, watching Emily chug down a wine cooler._

"_Sheldon dumped me, Casey. Sheldon _Schlepper_ dumped _me_." Emily says harshly, finishing off the bottle and sitting it on the coffee table in front of us. "I am so _mega_ pissed right now that I can't even _see_ straight!"_

"_That could have something to do with the amount of vodka and wine coolers you've consumed in the past two hours."_

_Emily giggles, and giggles, and giggles. She places her hand drunkenly on my shoulder and giggles some more. "Casey, Casey, Casey. You act like I'm wasted."_

_I lift her arm off of my shoulder and shake my head out of her, laughing. "You're getting way close to being full-on hammered, Em."_

"_Way close." Emily says. "That's not full-on. HA!" she jumps up from the couch and twirls around, sticking her tongue at me._

_Dear God, she's a _five_-year-old._

"_I'm going to show Sheldon for dumping me! This is what he gets!" she latches onto the nearest guy's arm and pulls him into a kiss._

_He breaks away from her and stares at her in shock. It turns out that it is Frank. "What the hell, Emily?!"_

"_SEE SCHLEPPER!?" Emily shouts out. "I am _SO _OVER YOU!"_

"_Oh, God." I mutter, throwing my head into my palm._

_I hear laughter behind me, very familiar laughter. I turn and see Derek watching Emily, laughing. "Stop laughing, Derek. This is _so_ not funny."_

_Derek shakes his head at me, "You've gotta admit, Case. It's pretty funny."_

_We watch as Emily grabs a floor lamp and twirls it around._

_Despite myself, I laugh._

_That is, until she falls on top of the lamp, causing it to shatter into multiple pieces on Sam's polished, wood floor._

"_Em!" I say, jumping off of the couch and towards her. "You are _so_ wasted." I mutter towards her._

_She shoves me off of her, laughing. "Lighten up, Space Case! It's a _party_!"_

_I shake my head at her. "Sit down, I'm going to go get you some water." I usher her towards the couch and then turn to Derek. "Keep an eye on her." I instruct before hurrying out of the living room and into the kitchen. _

"_Hey Casey." Sam says with a warm smile from where he is standing at a nearby counter with Ralphie._

"_Hey you guys." I say with a small smile and open up the fridge, pulling out a bottle of Aquafina._

"_Our drinks aren't good enough for you?" Ralphie jokes._

_I roll my eyes. "Drinks aren't good for _anybody_." I note. "But this is for Emily. She's extremely lit."_

"_Maybe you should take her home?" Sam suggests. "I don't want her getting sick all over the place. I'm lucky my parents are even letting me host this thing. If anything gets broken, my ass is grounded until I leave for University."_

_My eyes widen. "Then be sure to not go into the living room." I say before hurrying out of the kitchen._

"_You're kidding!" Sam calls after me, hopping down from the couch and following me into the living room._

_I shrug weakly. "Sorry." I say as we step into the living room._

_Sam spots the broken lamp and rushes towards it as I plop down on Derek's lap from where he sitting beside Emily on the couch and hand her the bottle of water. "You're going to go home, Em."_

_Emily scoffs, shaking her head. "No, I'm not, Casey."_

_I nod. "Yeah, you are. Derek is going to take you."_

_Derek eyes me confusingly from where he is positioned below me. "Derek is going to what?"_

"_I have to help Sam clean up the lamp. You're going to have to take Em home, and I'll meet you back at our house. Okay?" I stand up from his lap and help Emily stand up._

_Derek shakes his head at me, laughing. "Fine." He says, standing up from the couch. "But you owe me, McDonald!" he says as he leads Emily away from the living room._

_I giggle. "Tonight, I promise!" I say before making my way towards Sam and helping him clean up the mess._

-¤-

Donnie nods slowly. "So, Casey told you to take Emily home and that's when the shit hit the fan?"

I nod regretfully. "Precisely."

"_I'm Queen of the World!" Emily squeals loudly, shoving the top half of her body out of my sun roof._

_My eyes widen and I grab Emily around the waist when we arrive at a stop light, pulling her down. "Emily! Seatbelt _on_."_

_Emily scoffs. "Chill out, _Dad_."_

_I roll my eyes. "Trust me, you'll thank me for not letting you catapult yourself out of my car and into your death tomorrow." I pause as I turn into our neighborhood. "Well, after the hangover is cured, at least."_

_Emily flicks her hand in the air and sighs. "Sheldon dumped me."_

_I sigh, "So, I've heard." I mutter as I pull into my driveway. I turn off the ignition and make my way outside the car and to the passenger side, pulling Emily out. "Come on, we're taking you home." I direct._

_She throws her head onto my shoulder for support as we stagger our way towards her front porch. "Can I have your key?" I ask._

_She giggles, hiccupping. "I don't have my key."_

What

_I turn towards her, confused. "What do you mean you don't have your key?"_

_She shrugs. "It's in my purse, at Sam's house. You guys hurled me out of the place so fast that I didn't have time to get it."_

_I roll my eyes. "Of course you didn't." I mutter. "We'll just ring the doorbell, then. You're parents may kill you for being drunk, but at least you'll be home."_

_She shakes her head. "Sorry, you lose. Game over!"_

"_Huh?" I ask, turning to face her._

"_My grandparents are in town for my graduation, and they're at their hotel right now."_

_I shake my head at her. "Emily, you're kidding, right."_

_She laughs momentarily before suddenly breaking away from me and puking into her bushes._

_Well, _that's_ something to wake up to._

_I roll my eyes, groaning. "Fine. We'll go to my house."_

_She throws herself back onto my body and we wobble our way across the driveway and to my house._

_We enter the house quietly, up until Emily crashes into our coat rack and sends it tumbling to the floor._

_I groan. _"Jesus_, Emily." I mutter, situating her against a wall and sitting back up the coat rack._

_The lights flicker on and Nora makes her way into the foyer. "Derek, what is going on? It's almost midnight!"_

"_Sorry, Nora." I whisper. "Emily's drunk and she doesn't have her key and her parents aren't home."_

_Nora sighs. "How bad is she?"_

"_Hello, Bob!" Emily cries out cheerfully to the coat wrack._

_I turn back towards Nora, wincing. "That bad."_

_Nora sighs, shaking her head. "Okay, I'll make up the couch bed for her. You take her upstairs and give her something of Casey's to wear, okay?"_

_I nod. "Thanks for understanding, Nora."_

_She nods, smiling at me softly. "You're welcome. I just hope you didn't have that kind of fun at Sam's party as well."_

_I shake my head at her as we stumble our way up the stairs, Emily thrusting her body in to the wall. "Don't worry, I didn't."_

_We make our way into my bedroom. "Sit on my bed, I'm going to go get you something to wear." I instruct._

_She's staggers over towards my bed and falls on top of it, her eyes planted on the picture frame on my night stand. "You and Casey are _so_ perfect together." She says dreamily. "It must be amazing to be in that kind of relationship." She hiccups._

_I nod, smiling to myself. "Yeah, it is." I say softly before jumping out of my Casey-stupor and making my way towards my closet. "I'm just going to give you something of mine to wear, so that incase you puke, you don't get it all over Casey."_

_Emily smiles and slaps my mattress. "That's so chivalrous of you, Derek!"_

_I nod, confused. "Yeah, I'm an every day saint." I mutter with an eye-roll, pulling down a ratty, hockey tee shirt and pair of shorts that are _way_ too small for me._

_I turn back to face her, "Will these work okay, Emi-" I cut myself off short when I see her asleep on my bed._

_I drop the clothes to the floor and groan silently._

_I momentarily debate between carrying her downstairs or leaving her in my room. But I shrug it off, I can always sleep in Casey's room tonight._

_I grab the blanket that is wadded up at the bottom of my bed and begin to pull it up, so that it'll cover her._

_As soon as the blanket hits her shoulders, her eyes flutter open and she glances at me, smiling dopily._

_I send her a confused glance. "You okay, Em?"_

_Emily sighs. "I've always felt something for you, Derek. Even when you were fucking my best friend." She whispers, leaning up and pressing her lips against my own._

_WHAT._

_THE._

_HELL?_

_I press my palms to her shoulders, pushing her off of me._

_And that's when I hear it._

"_DEREK?"_

-♥-

I sigh, shaking my head as the hardest part of the stories begins to come up. "After I helped Sam clean up the shards of lamp, and promised to help him pay for a new one. He offered to give me a ride home, since I had come with Derek and he had taken his SUV with him."

Lizzie nods. "And when you got home…"

I nod slowly, gulping. "That's when it happened."

"_Thanks for the ride." I say, hopping out of Sam's truck._

_Sam nods, smiling. "Thanks for helping me clean up." He says with a small laugh. "Good luck with telling your parental unit about you and Derek." He says as he begins to pull out of the driveway._

_I smile, nodding. "Thanks!" I say before turning and hurrying into the house, grinning to myself about the fact of having my lips against Derek's in just a matter of moments._

_I tiptoe up the stairs as to not disturb anybody and notice that Derek's bedroom door is open._

_I grin mischievously and creep into his bedroom. Just as soon as my mouth opens to greet him, my heart drops to the pit of my stomach._

_Derek is leaned over his bed, with his lips attached to another girl's._

_I recognize the bright pink headband that the girl is wearing._

_He is kissing _Emily

_My boyfriend is kissing my best friend._

"DEREK_?" My voice rattles._

_Derek shoves Emily off of him quickly and turns to face me, his eyes wide. "Casey, I-"_

"_EMILY?" I screech as Emily stares up at me, wide-eyed._

"_Hey Casey." She says, laughing drunkenly._

"_HOW COULD YOU!?" I scream._

_Derek shakes his head, hurrying towards me. "Casey, baby, please, it's not what it-"_

"_SAVE IT, DEREK!" I shout. The lights in the hallway flip on, and I hear Lizzie and Marti's bedroom doors opening at the sound of the noise, but it doesn't stop me from carrying on my tirade. I shake my head angrily. "I hate you." I spit out. Derek's eyes flicker with hurt. "I _FUCKING _HATE YOU!" _

"_Casey-" Derek starts, his voice shaking._

"_Go to hell." I snarl before turning on my heel and stomping out of his room._

-¤-

"I'll never forget the look on her face." I murmur towards Donnie. "And I'll never forget the words she said to me."

Donnie sighs. "That is so messed up." He mutters.

I nod. "I know."

"So, did anything else happen after that?" he asks.

_I chase after Casey, leaving Emily obliviously sitting on my bed, probably not even remembering that she kissed me._

"_Casey!" I yell, pushing past Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti. I latch onto her wrist and she shoves me off of her, sending me crashing into the wall across from my room._

"_DON'T TOUCH ME!" she shouts. "Don't ever FUCKING TOUCH ME!"_

_I can feel tears burning in my eyes as she swings her bedroom door open and slams it shut behind her._

"_Derek!" Dad and Nora hurry up the stairs. "What the hell happened?" George asked._

_I can't even muster up a reply. I simply shove past them and back into my bedroom._

_When I enter my room, Emily is nowhere to be found._

"God." Donnie mutters, shaking his head. "So, Emily ditched you to let you pick up the pieces?"

I nod, "That's exactly what she did." I mutter.

Donnie sighs, standing up. "I'm sorry, man."

I shake my head. "Whatever."

"Well, I uh…" he drifts off, obviously trying to find a reason to escape my much too PMS-filled habitat.

"Go ahead." I say, flicking my hand towards the door.

He laughs nervously before nodding. "I take your side, though. I most definitely believe what you just said."

I give him a half-hearted, small laugh. "Thanks." I mumble.

When Donnie swings open the door, however, we find ourselves face-to-face with a wide-eyed Lizzie.

-♥-

"I told Mom that Derek had left me stranded at the party." I say, shaking my head as tears drip down my cheeks. "And that it was my time of the month anyways, so I was naturally upset as it was."

Lizzie shakes her head. "But, Casey, you're blocking out Derek's entire half of the story."

I shake my head, tearfully. "And what is his side of the story? What bullshit did he feed you?"

Lizzie shakes her head at me. "He wasn't telling _me_, Casey. He was telling Donnie."

_DONNIE?_

My eyes widen and my heart lurches. "_Donnie_? Derek told my future _brother-in-law _about us being together?"

Lizzie gulps, shrugging. "Apparently."

Oh. My. God.

I sigh, shaking my head in disbelief.

I sit in silence for a few moments, before looking up at Lizzie. "So." I start.

Lizzie eyes me confusingly, raising an eyebrow. "So what?"

I sigh, sniffling. "So, what's _Derek's_ side of the story?

-¤-

**Ta-da!**

**Well, hope it met your standards!**

**I hope it didn't confuse you guys too much. Derek's side of the story was meant to be a little bit ahead of Casey's. Hence, why and how they caught Lizzie.**

**Anyways, R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	19. A Maybe Too Many

**Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all of the feedback for the last chapter, love you guys! **

**I had never realized how much of a bookworm I was until this weekend. I read four books out of a series ranging from Thursday night to this afternoon.**

**Okay, so the books weren't **_**extremely**_** long, but seriously! It was sad…lmao**

**However, the books are amazing, and if you read them you'll totally see why I'm so obsessed, haha.**

**They're not "Pretty Little Liars" (which I mentioned a while back) but they're definitely close.**

**So, be sure to check out the ****Private**** series by Kate Brian…the books are AMAZING!**

**Okay, I'm done rambling…haha.**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 19**

**-♥-**

It took a grand total of 3.5 seconds upon Lizzie telling the "true" story about grad night to make me feel like a genuine jackass.

And a total and complete…_bitch_.

I sit there, with my mouth agape, for an amount of time that I'm not sure about.

"Casey?" Lizzie asks me cautiously, eyeing me warily.

I shake my head. "You're lying." I choke out.

"That's what he told Donnie, Case." Lizzie says softly.

"But," I start, shaking my head more-so. "I saw them together, in Derek's bed. In Derek's bed kissing. They were kissing in Derek's bed! I didn't misinterpret that."

"But you never let him give his story, Case." Lizzie murmurs.

I plant my forehead into my palm and shake my head. "I can't believe this." I groan out. "I'm getting married in four days, and I find out this _now_?"

"Casey, he's been trying to tell you for _four_ years. You've just never given him the chance."

I think back to the voicemails upon voicemails left on my answering machines week after week. Messages from Derek, pleading with me, attempting to tell the story over the machine. I screened his calls when I was around, and I deleted them when they popped up on my machine.

I called him back _one_ time, during our sophomore year of college.

He answered on the first ring, my name hurriedly escaping his lips, anticipation and hope seeping of him.

I only said _one_ thing to him, "Stop calling me." And I hung up.

He never called back.

He never called back and I met Andrew, and that was that.

And ten, he went off and met the _glorious_ Amy and the rest was vapor.

…until this week, that is.

I think of the way his lips felt against mine, how our bodies fit imperfectly against one another, how the soft cloth of his tee-shirt felt against me, and how he murmured endlessly in my ear this afternoon when we made love about how this was right and how he loved me.

Momentarily, in our trance, I believed him.

But, he's engaged. He's engaged to Amy and I'm engaged to Andrew.

I'm days away from marrying in Andrew, it's too late to be thinking about Derek and think about going back on my promise to Andrew.

As if Lizzie is reading my mind, she glances up at me knowingly, whispering. "It's never too late, Case."

But majority of me says that it is.

"Casey." Lizzie lets out, her eyes boring into me. "Are you…"

I know the question she is going to ask before it drops from her lips.

"_Are you still in love with Derek?"_ I can already hear the question.

I tilt my head slightly, opening my mouth and then closing it back up, letting out a sigh. "I don't _want_ to be." Is the only answer I can muster up.

"Which means that you are?" Lizzie questions.

I glance up at her, the look on my face clearly gives her every answer she needs to know.

The door swings open and Andrew is facing us, grinning. "Hello, you two beautiful ladies." He says in a cheesy voice. He sits down at the foot of my head and puts his arm around my shoulder, kissing my cheek. "And how are you doing, lovely?"

I squirm away from him, sighing. "I need to get some air." I say before standing up from my bed and hurrying out of my room.

-¤-

"Lizzie heard everything." I groan towards Amy and Daniel, who had just appeared moments after the "Donnie runs into deer-in-headlights stepsister" fiasco.

"That's good, isn't it?" Daniel asks confusingly, Amy is sitting on his lap on my computer chair.

Amy glances over her shoulder at him and scoffs. "You know nothing." She mutters.

"I do too!" he says offensively, glancing over at me, his eyes in a puppy-dog state. "I do too." He grumbles.

"Lizzie probably reported the whole scenario to Casey." Amy says with a shrug. "Let's just hope you didn't mention anything about _us_." She says, gesturing towards her and Daniel.

I shake my head. "I didn't. Nothing major, at least."

Amy shrugs, "Then you should be fine, Derek."

I shrug. "I just…after today, I had really hoped that this would be the end."

Daniel eyes me confusingly. "The end of what?"

"This charade with me and Casey, this lame-ass dance around each other that we've been doing for the past week, and the past seven years _before_ that. I just want it to be the two of us, me and Casey, no dorky, annoying fiancées getting in the way. Just us."

Amy's jaw slightly falls open. "I am not a dorky, annoying fiancée."

Daniel snorts, and Amy sends him a death glare. "Care to elaborate on that, Daniel?" she snaps.

His eyes widen, as if he's afraid of her, before he cracks a smile. "It's just, I remember when we were engaged, and the description that Derek gave just matched you to a tee."

Amy proceeds to slug him before he grins against her and wraps his arms around her stomach, pulling her closer against him, letting his head rest on her shoulder.

I roll my eyes at the sight of them. "Wow, it must just rock to be the two of you; all happy and in love." I sneer.

"Hey, don't take this out on us." Amy says offensively.

Wow, I'm a jackass.

I shake my head at them. "I'm sorry. I just…I just want to be with Casey." I grumble like a young boy, throwing my body back against my bed.

"You will be." Amy says softly before she and Daniel stand and disappear out of my room.

I hear the door shut softly behind them.

I lay still for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling as if there is something intriguing on the ceiling.

There really isn't.

I think back to the way it felt to have Casey's lips against mine, her body pressing against mine tightly as we kissed, the way she moaned when I kissed that spot under her left ear, the way she whispered my name repeatedly in my ear as we made love.

I will _always_ love Casey McDonald.

…even if she _does_ become Casey Wilder, which I shudder at the mere thought of.

I don't know how long I have been lying in my bed before my door is thrown open.

I sit up, "What the hell?" I mutter before finding myself facing a seething Casey, with an apologetic Amy and Daniel behind her.

Oh, _shit_.

"You have a _hell_ of a lot of explaining to do." Casey sneers.

-♥-

Maybe Lizzie's right.

Maybe it _isn't _too late.

Maybe if I just tell Derek how I feel, that this whole thing will be over.

Maybe he'll leave Amy (which he damn well should, seeing as he whispered that he would leave her in a second for me in my ear a million times this afternoon) and the two of us can just _be_ together, no catches.

Maybe, I should just stop coming up with "maybe" responses.

Here, standing in the kitchen drinking my glass of orange juice, is when I decide that _yes_, maybe I will give Derek a chance to explain.

I make my way out of the kitchen and into the living room, sighing to myself but smiling at the thought of seeing Derek. I don't know why that makes me smile, I should be mad at him right now. I'm not sure _why_ I should be mad at him right now, actually. He has every right to be mad at me, of course. He has _every_ right.

That's when I hear a giggle coming from the outside.

I shrug it off, suspecting that it is Marti and she's on the phone with one of her friends.

That's when I hear another laugh, a man's laugh.

What the hell?

I open up the front door quietly and I gasp. My orange juice falls out of my hand and shatters onto the floor, glass shards flying around my feet.

Because, there is a girl sitting on the ledge of our front porch, with her ankles locked around a guy's waist, his back to me.

I recognize the back of his shirt, however.  
It's got the Maple Leaf imprint on it, with the words "Because a moose just doesn't seem appropriate" under it.

It's _Daniel's_ shirt.

And that giggle sounded scarily familiar to Amy's.

Daniel breaks apart with the mystery girl awfully quickly and it turns out that my assumption was correct.

Because the girl that is sitting on the ledge, wide-eyed and scared before she tumbles off of the back of it and into the bushes, is _Amy_.

"No way." I say disbelievingly.

"Casey-" Daniel starts, his eyes panicking.

Amy jumps up from the bushes, small twigs poking out of her messed up hair. Her eyes are wide, apologetic. "Casey-"

"You guys…but he's…and you're…" I can't muster up sentences.

"You're absolutely right." Daniel says quickly. "I just, I couldn't let go of Amy. Gay or straight, this girl is irresistible."

"Oh please," I snort. "That girl is not remotely_ that_ attractive." I mutter under my breath.

Actually, Amy was quite pretty. Gorgeous, actually.

It's just that whole "engaged-to-Derek" that throws me off a bit.

"Don't say things like that about my wife." Daniel says lowly, before his eyes widen.

And Amy's jaw drops.

And my heart falls.

Oh. My God.

"Your _what_?"

-¤-

Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT!

Casey is staring me down, her eyes seeping into me. "_Well_?" she spits out. "I found these two kissing on the front porch, Derek. Care to explain?"

I think of the only thing I can.

I'll make me out to be the innocent victim! I can put the blame on Slippery Lips, I'm sure she'll understand. "Amy, you _cheated_ on me!"

"Oh, save it Derek." Casey snaps. "Daniel slipped. He referred to her as his wife."

My eyes widen and I turn towards Daniel, who backs away, his hands in front of his chest. "Don't _even_ look at me; I didn't want to be in this mess to begin with."

Thanks for the help, bud.

"Derek, I'm sorry." Amy whispers before she and Daniel disappear out of my room, leaving me alone with the seething, angered thing that is Casey.

"Casey-" I start.

"It was all a charade." She chokes out, staring up at me with tears in her eyes.

I glance down at the floor, not answering.

"Wasn't it?" she asks, her voice crackling.

"Amy's my best friend." I murmur, it's all I can think to say at the moment.

Casey shakes her head at me. "You lied. I got_ jealous_ over her and…" she backs away from me. "And it wasn't even worth it."

My head perks up. "You were jealous?"

She scoffs at me, shaking her head. "Deflate your ego, _Derek_. I want nothing to do with you, not anymore."

"You can't be serious, Casey." I let out, stepping closer to her. "I was furious about you being engaged, I didn't know what to do. Amy was there and she agreed-"

"Unbelievable." She murmurs. "I'm so stupid."

"What?" I ask confusingly.

"I was coming up here to…" she lets herself drift off, not finishing her sentence.

That's when Andrew appears in the doorway, eyeing us confusingly. "Everything alright?" he asks confusingly.

Casey shakes her head at me. "No." she spits out. "Nothing is." She says before shoving past Andrew and out into the hallway.

Andrew puffs up as if he's Popeye, eyeing me angrily. "What did you do to her?" he asks.

I don't respond.

I simply walk up to my door and slam it shut in his face.

-♥-

I hurry downstairs and into the kitchen, pressing myself against the island counter and crying. My body shakes and tears stream down my face like a waterfall.

Not because Derek lied to me about Amy. I have no idea _why_ he did that.

And not because I felt like giving him another chance, because, after what happened on Grad Night, he _does_ deserve another chance.

No, I'm not crying about any of that.

I'm crying about how horrible of a person _I _am.

I'm crying about how unfair I've been to Andrew, I'm crying about how much I miss Derek's touch, and Derek's lips.

I'm crying about how much _relief_ washed over me when I heard Daniel call Amy his wife, when I heard Derek admit to Amy not being his fiancée.

I'm crying about how pathetically in love I still am with Derek Venturi.

I hear a giggle, another girl's giggle followed by a guy's laugh. The laughs are coming from the laundry room.

You're. Kidding.

I can't deal with anymore surprise hook-ups, not tonight. I don't care if it's Lizzie and Edwin for Christ's sake, I can't deal with it.

But, curiosity _still_ takes the better of me and I step inside the laundry room to investigate.

The couple in question isn't Lizzie and Edwin, however.  
It's Donnie and Marti.

-¤-

**Okay, short chapter, I know. **

**Sorry about that, I just felt like that was a good spot to end it at…haha**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. **

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	20. Donnie and Marti Sittin' in a Tree

**Okay, so wow, this is like, my fastest update yet…lol.**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**After I posted Chapter 19, I just **_**had **_**to keep going, I **_**had**_** to keep writing.**

**Long story short, I am officially through with "Think Twice". I wrote four chapters between last night and this afternoon, and I am done. But, I am not going to be posting one each day.**

**The final chapter will probably be posted next weekend or early next week.**

**There will be two more chapters after this one, and I am already starting on work for the sequel to this story. Okay, so it's sort of a sequel, more like a **_**back**_**-story on the main two characters of this chapter (who aren't necessarily Derek and Casey).**

**Anyways, here is my fastest update yet, Chapter 20.**

**Enjoy!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 20**

**-♥-**

Oh. Wow.

Marti has her arms wrapped tightly around Donnie's neck and his are around her waist. He mumbles something against her mouth and she grins against his lips, laughing.

Actually, the two of them together make a really interesting pair.

A really _cute_ pair.

"Baby, what was going on with you?" I hear Andrew come up behind me and I tense before turning to face him.

Andrew's eyes, however, are now fixated on the couple in the laundry room, who are currently jumping away from each other as if Donnie just mentioned to her that he more or less had an ongoing case of lice.

Andrew's jaw drops. "Donnie and Marti?" he chokes out.

Donnie glances at Marti quickly before looking towards Andrew. "Drew, I-"

"Donnie! She's twelve!" he exclaims.

"I'm going on fifteen!" Marti pipes up, eyeing him angrily.

Andrew shakes his head. "And Donnie will be twenty soon."

"Dude, I turned eighteen two _Wednesdays_ ago." Donnie corrects him, shaking his head at his brother.

Andrew still stares at them as if they had just admitted that they were eloping in T.O. and they needed him to prepare the getaway-mobile.

"It's still wrong. You guys are going to be _related_ in three days from tomorrow!"

"Not if Derek can help it." Marti grumbles. Andrew clearly doesn't catch on, but I know that Donnie does, because he sends her a smirk.

"And a brother and a sister can _not_ be together." Andrew rambles on.

"Are you kidding me?" Donnie breaks out, staring at his brother in shock. "First of all, we'll _hardly_ be related, and second, Marti & I have more chemistry in our thumbnails than you do with Casey."

Marti's face breaks out into a wide grin as she hears him say that, a glow quickly spreading across her cheeks, but I can tell by the look on Donnie's face that he instantly regrets what he said. "Andrew, I'm sorry." He says quickly. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just-"

"You're not staying here." Andrew says lowly.

"Pardon?" Donnie asks confusingly.

Andrew shakes his head. "You're not staying in this house with us."

He snorts. "Like I was planning on it. I was going to stay with Derek at his and Sam's apartment anyways."

Wait, what?

My head perks up. "What?"

"Derek's moving out tonight." Donnie declares. "He's moving back to his apartment downtown. He told me about it earlier this afternoon."

WHAT?

"Derek's moving out of the house." I clarify towards him.

Donnie nods before pushing past us. "Uh huh. Come on Marti."

Marti laces her fingers through his before the pair disappears out of the laundry room. "You really think we have that much chemistry?" she asks happily as their voices slowly fade out with the farther they walk away.

Andrew shakes his head. "They're committing incest." He grumbles.

"Andrew, it's not incest." I say solemnly.

"And what the hell is up with Lizzie and Edwin?" Andrew carries on, ignoring what I just said. "I know that they're dating, and I know that they're stepsiblings. You're parents are actually _okay_ with that?"

"Andrew, you've known that Lizzie and Edwin were together. I told you about that forever ago."

"You're defending them?" he asks curiously.

I narrow my eyes at him. "What is going on with you?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. I'm sorry, baby." He says, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I'm just a bit shaken up about seeing my baby brother with somebody. I'm sorry." He says, kissing me softly on the forehead.

For some reason, I didn't believe he truly was.

-¤-

"Guess what Derek?" Donnie asks popping into my bedroom.

"What?" I grumble from where I am lying on my bed.

"Do you remember how you mentioned having an apartment with Sam earlier today?"

"The one that's more Sam's than mine?" I fire back.

"Uh huh." He says, sitting on my chair.

I sit up. "What about it?"

"You guys have a third roommate."

Huh?

"What?"

"I kind of have to move in to it. Tonight."

…_what_?

"Wait, what?"

"My brother kind of caught me playing tonsil hockey with your sister and he got mad and went on this huge-ass tirade about incest. And now I need to move into your apartment for the time being. You know, until Casey and Andrew…_don't_ walk down the aisle."

I shake my head. "So, you want me to move out of my room, get away from Casey and Bobby Brady, and move back into my apartment with Sam that I told him I wouldn't be living in anymore?"

Donnie nods quickly. "Yep."

I shrug, getting up from my bed. "Sure." I mutter, throwing some things into a duffle bag. "It was a stupid idea to think of moving back home for the summer anyway."

"Great." Donnie declares. "Then it's settled. We're out of here."

Donnie waits for me to pack my duffle bag, leaning against my door frame.

Marti comes up beside him, and I glance over at the pair as they speak quietly.

She breaks into a smile and hugs him tightly, kissing him softly on the lips. He presses a large, gray object into her hands and she smiles, kissing him once more. "See you tomorrow." She mumbles against his lips before turning and strolling out into the hallway, _humming_.

I brush off my confusing of seeing Donnie and Marti kiss as we walk out into the hallway, down the stairs, and in to the foyer. While Donnie grabs his duffle bag from where it is sitting in the living room, I see Casey staring at me from where she is standing in the kitchen. Her eyes look hollow and teary, her face shadowy and grim. Her eyes follow me as we open the front door.

"Do you want to go say something to her before we leave?" Donnie asks me.

I shake my head at him, my eyes still fixed on Casey. "No." I say before the two of us exit out of the house and into the June breeze.

As we make our way towards my SUV, I remember something that Donnie had mentioned earlier in our conversation; something that I must have looked over.

"Donnie…" I started, as we climbed into my car.

"Huh?" he asks mindlessly, putting on his seatbelt.

"You did _what_ with my sister?"

-♥-

"Hey Casey." Marti says softly, making her way into the kitchen, where I'm standing. She has on a gray hoodie that sports the phrase 'Raiders Varsity Swim Team' on it in blue and white. The hoodie is slightly baggy on her thin frame and the sleeves hang farther than her arms do, the ends bunched up in her fists. It's Donnie's sweatshirt. I had seen him wear it around the house a few times when I had been visiting Daniel's parents.

"Hey." I say, giving her a weak smile. "Sorry about Daniel's outburst earlier."

Marti shrugs it off. "He was surprised, that's all."

"I was too, sort of." I say with a small shrug towards Marti. "It didn't seem like you guys had that much time to talk today."

Marti smiles, blushing. "We've talked before."

_Excusez-moi?_

"What? When?" I ask confusingly.

Marti blush reddens into crimson as she hoists herself up on the counter. "Almost every day since Christmas."

No. Way.

How did I not know this?

"Marti, _what_?"

Marti sighs, "Okay, well, I was on MySpace and I got this friend request. I had no idea _who_ the guy was, but he was insanely good looking, so obviously, I accepted him. I mean, duh, why wouldn't I? Anyways, he messaged me and said that he was Andrew's brother and had heard you mention me a few times. So when he saw me on your MySpace, he added me. We didn't talk much after that, but then I saw him post a bulletin about this band that I _love_, and I thought I was, like, the only person to have ever heard of them. So, I posted him a comment complimenting him on his excellent taste in music. And then we just started talking…_a lot_."

Wow. I shake my head at her in amazement, smiling towards my baby sister.

"He told me about ending his senior year, I told him about ending my freshman year. We compared our favorite movies and music and then it just went on to deeper stuff. So deep that he asked me for my phone number so that we could talk about it instead of commenting."

"My God, Marti." I say breathlessly.

"And then, a few weeks ago, he mentioned to me how much he _hated_ his tux for the wedding. I laughed and he said, 'you laugh now, but you just wait until you see me in it when I'm in London week after next'. And my heart just kind of flipped. I mean, this would be the first time I'd actually see him in person." Marti grinned as she went onto the next part of the story, her eyes twinkling happily. "He said that he was going to get some 'alone time' with Andrew while he was here, so long as I could get some 'alone time' with Nora and Lizzie. So, when we all went out today, I made some lame excuse about not feeling well, and Donnie told Andrew that he his friend was going through a crisis and needed him to call him. So, Donnie left Andrew at Barnes & Noble and then we met at the park." She grins beatifically. "It was _so_ cool to finally get to see him in person and talk to him in person. Not just look at his MySpace pictures and talk to him over a phone. We _really_ got to talk…not that we did much of that." She giggles embarrassingly.

"Wow, Marti." I say, shaking my head at her.

Marti sucks in a deep breath and turns to me, smiling softly. "I think I love him, Case."

I smile at her and put my arm around her. "I think you do too."

"I really lucked out on him." Marti whispers. It's as if she's not even talking to me, it's as if she's just talking about Donnie to…_herself_. "He's so different from his brother. Donnie says they don't get along at all."

That I can believe.

"Why?" I ask.

Marti shrugs. "He says Andrew's too close-minded, too different from him for them to ever carry a real conversation. But Donnie and I…we have _everything_ in common."

I smile towards her. "You can't stop smiling." I note.

Marti squeals and throws her head into the soft hoodie. "I know. I really can't. I haven't been able to wipe it off my face since he called me last night saying that he would be here in the morning and how he couldn't wait to see me, and then the smile just widened when I heard the doorbell. I nearly had heart failure. He's so _perfect_, Casey." She gushes.

I smile as Lizzie steps into the kitchen. "What's going on?" she asks, chipper.

I smile at my two sisters. "We're going to have a girl's night." I declare.

Marti glances up at me, wide-eyed. "We are?"

I nod. "Uh huh. That way Marti can gush to us _all_ about Donnie."

Lizzie smiles. "Sweet." She declares.

"I'll pop the popcorn." I announce.

Lizzie nods. "I'll go grab the chick flicks." She says before turning and making her way out of the kitchen. She stops, and turns back to face us. "Wait…_Donnie_?"

Marti grins. "Uh huh."

Lizzie smiles at her before heading back out of the kitchen.

Marti sighs. "Thanks, Case."

I nod, shrugging. "Anytime."

-¤-

Donnie throws himself onto Sam's couch, getting himself situated so that he can go to bed; I blow up the air mattress for me to sleep on.

"Thanks for letting us stay here, man." I say towards Sam, who was sitting on the large, black leather chaise.

He shrugs. "Whatever. It got pretty dull around here after you moved back home anyways." Sam notes.

"Well, you were in no hurry to keep my room empty." I mutter, noting towards how he had turned my half of our two bedroom apartment into a study/gym.

He shrugs. "You weren't occupying it anymore."

"But you never knew when I'd be moving back." I toss back.

He rolls his eyes. "You said, and I quote: 'do whatever you want with the place, I'm thinking of just moving back home'. Therefore, I did whatever I want with the place."

I laugh. "Touché."

Donnie sighs, leaning back on the couch and staring up at the ceiling.

"_So_." I declare loudly, jolting him out of his state. He stares at me questioningly. "You and my kid sister, eh?"

Sam's eyes widen. "You and Marti?" he questions.

Donnie sighs, shrugging. "Yes, Derek. Me and your kid sister…_eh_." He adds emphasis on the "eh", rolling his eyes.

"How did _that_ happen?" Sam asks confusingly.

Donnie sighs, smiling to himself. "MySpace is a magical thing."

He indulges into this long story about how he found Marti through Casey's MySpace and decided to add her. He talked about how they messaged each other and commented and then started calling one another.

"She's prefect." He says in a dazed tone. "I know she's only going to be a sophomore in high school this year, and I'm going to be a freshman in college…but I really think it could work."

I sigh; listening to him go on about Marti just makes me realize how much I miss Casey.

"Do you love my sister?" I ask cautiously, glancing up at him.

Donnie winces down towards me. "Are you going to beat me to a pulp if I respond to that with a yes?"

I shake my head at him and he sighs with a relief.

"Yeah, I do." He answers, smiling.

"I figured that." I say as Casey's face flashes before my eyes.

"I would have responded yes even if you would have said that you would have beaten me to a pulp." Donnie carries on.

I nod slightly. "I figured that, too."

-♥-

"Casey?" I hear Andrew's voice beckoning from above me.

My eyes flutter open and I realize that it is morning, and that I had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Hey." I say softly, sitting up.

"Were you avoiding me?" he asks curiously, stepping over Lizzie, who is sleeping on the floor. Marti is asleep on Derek's treasured recliner, snuggling into Donnie's hoodie with a dopey smile on her face.

Andrew sits down next to me on the couch.

"No." I shake my head. "We just thought we'd have a girl's night last night. So we just talked and watched movies all night."

He smiles sheepishly. "And was it fun?"

I laugh, nodding. "My sister's are my best friends, so it was definitely a good time."

"I sure hope you talked Marti out of screwing around with my brother." Andrew mutters towards me.

Ugh. That jackass.

Wait a second, did I _really_ just think that?

About _Andrew_?

I cast him an angered glare.

Okay, what is going on with me?

"Marti _loves_ him, Andrew." I say shortly.

Andrew snorts. "Casey, she's too young to know what love is."

"Like hell she is!" I exclaim quietly, standing up from the couch. "I wasn't even two years older than her when I fell in love for the first time."

"Do you still remember who your first love was?" Andrew pipes up.

I scoff. "Of course I do, it was Derek." I snap.

Andrew's eyes widen.

And my heart drops.

I did not just say that.

I did _not_ just say that.

I DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!

"Derek?" Andrew chokes out, eyeing me warily.

"Derek's friend Sam." I cover up. "You've met him, right?"

"Thank God." Andrew sighs, leaning against the couch. "You scared me for a moment, Case!"

I wince. "Sorry about that!" I say, laughing it off. "But, no, my first love was Derek's friend Sam."

_Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire._

"Mine was Mindy Michelson in my senior year of high school." Andrew declares softly, before hurling himself into a conversation about the trials and tribulations of his senior year of high school.

I am finally beginning to realize why Derek is so fond of slamming doors shut in Andrew's face.

-¤-

**Ta-da!**

**Another chapter complete! Haha…**

**Anyways, R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	21. You're Off the Hook

**Okay, I know I said I wouldn't be updating so quickly, but I grew impatient very quickly. lmao**

**So, here is Chapter 21 :)**

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews! You guys ROCK:) ...oh, and I apologize about the Daniel/Andrew mix-up, I saw a few of your reviews and I didn't realize that I had, and then I re-read the chapter and realized that I had used Daniel's name for Andrew twice in two sentences. haha**

**Anyways, thanks again! And here is Chapter 21 :)**

**The next chapter will be the final :(**

**Enjoy!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

**_Peace, Love, & Cheerios!_**

**-degrassichick :)**

**-♥-**

**Chapter 21**

**-¤-**

"_Derek, Danny and I just wanted to apologize about how things went down last night. I hope everything works out for you and Casey! I'm sure they will…even though she did call me unattractive. _That _was uncalled for…"_

"…_Hey D, look, man, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about last night…"_

"…_It so wasn't my fault that Casey caught us! Daniel totally mauled me as soon as we got outside!" "Oh, of course, blame me." "Shut up, Daniel! You're to blame!" "I am not!" "You are too!" "Am not!" "Derek, I'll have to call you back. Somebody here is being a very immature little person." "Are too!" "Am not!" "HA!" "DAMMIT, DANIEL!"_

I chuckle slightly to myself and hit a key on the keypad to save the third voicemail. It was _classic_ Amy and Daniel.

I am sitting in my car outside of Sam's apartment, getting ready to head back over to the house. Donnie is sitting in the passenger seat, quickly texting on his Sidekick.

"So, who are you messaging?" I ask as I pull out of the parking lot.

He turns to look at me, and by the look on his face, I know that it's Marti.

"Oh." I say. "You'll see her in ten minutes, why are you texting her?"

Donnie rolls his eyes, smiling dopily. "Because there's never a time when I'm not in communication with her. Ever."

"That's sad." I laugh, shaking my head.

"That's love." He fires back. "Like when you and Casey were together you went over a day without talking to her?"

I scoff. "That's not even a fair statement. We _lived _together. Not talking to each other would be inevitable."

"Well, not talking to Marti is mentally inevitable for me."

"You realize dating her is illegal." I note.

"We're not sleeping together." He replies calmly.

Okay, I didn't need to know that much information.

And yet, a wave of relief washes over me when he tells me that.

Donnie continues. "I'd never want to do anything with Marti unless she was completely sure that she-"

"Ooh, radio stations! Let's pick one!" I declare, changing the subject fast and turning on the radio.

The Rocket Summer comes through the radio, the song High Life Scenery playing.

Donnie sighs, laughing nervously. "Sorry. I didn't mean to put you in such a weird position. It's hard to think of you as Marti's brother sometimes."

I shrug it off. "Don't worry about it." I say as we pull into our neighborhood.

I shift the car into the driveway and sit with it parked.

"Are you getting out?" Donnie asks confusingly as he opens up the door and steps outside.

"In a while." I say with a shrug.

Donnie shrugs back at me and closes the door.

Before he even makes it to the front door, Marti appears outside and envelopes him into a hug as he squeezes her tightly, kissing her on the cheek.

I shake my head, laughing slightly as the two go into the house with their arms tangled around each other. The door opens up and Casey appears out on the porch. She is holding a mug of coffee and has her hair pulled back into a messy bun. She glances over at me and I can see her sigh.

But, surprisingly, she steps off of the front porch and makes her way towards my SUV.

"Mind if I join you?" she asks curiously.

I shake my head. "Go for it."

She opens up the door and climbs inside, letting out a sigh. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I fire back.

She sighs, shaking her head. "Daniel's rambling about an ex-crush." She mutters.

"Ah, let me guess, she was co-captain of the Chess Society and he was on the Mathletes. She thought he wasn't cool enough for her, so she went after the school's top AV Geek…right?"

Despite my obscene comment towards her fiancé, Casey laughs.

She laughs at what I said.

Casey laughs at something that _I _said about _her _fiancé.

"Actually, it probably _was_ something like that." She announces, shrugging her shoulders up and down.

"What's with your change of mood?" I ask, turning towards her.

Casey sighs, shrugging. "I lost my temper last night." She says quietly.

"You had the right to." I reply with an equal shrug.

"It's just, I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days." She says.

"Over the past few days? Casey, you think far too much for anybody to possibly be _able_ to think and you do that everyday."

"Haha." She deadpans, rolling her eyes. "I mean, about high school. About…"

"Us?" I ask quietly.

She nods slowly. "Yeah, about us." She softly speaks.

She turns to face me and her eyes pour into my own.

_This is it_, I decide. I'm going to kiss her. I'm going to grab her and kiss her and we're going to tumble into my backseat. We're going to make love over and over again until one of us is too exhausted to get the other one riled up. And then, after we're fully charged, the process will begin again.

But, just as our lips our inching closer towards one another, we hear Marti's voice singing out towards us. "Breakfast is done!" she hollers.

"Damn it." I mutter quietly.

Casey glances up at me meekly, giving me a small, whisper of a smile before getting out of my SUV and hurrying back into the house.

-♥-

I nearly made out with Derek in his car. I _wanted_ to make out with Derek in his car. I wanted to do _more_ than make out with Derek in his car.

But, of course, Marti had to ruin the moment.

Stupid Marti; especially after all the heart-to-hearts that we had last night. Seriously.

"So, we were thinking about your bachelorette party…" Lizzie says casually.

Derek chokes on his orange juice. I gulp.

"We thought it'd be fun if just us girls had an all-night, chick flick movie fest!" Mom announces gleefully, smiling at me.

"It was so much fun last night, Case." Marti says, smiling over at me. Donnie is sitting beside her. I can see their fingers laced together from under the table, their hands resting on Marti's jean-covered thigh. "So, we thought we'd just do it again. Only this time, Mom would be included."

Mom smiles. "Doesn't that sound fun?"

I smile at them my best posed smile. "Sounds great."

"And what do your festivities include, Andrew?" Derek asks, glancing at Andrew from across the table.

I send Derek a nervous glare and Andrew shrugs. "All of my groomsmen are arriving today, and my parents, and the rest of the family. So, I think we're all just going to have a get-together. A big, Wilder family reunion…right, Don?"

Donnie nods affirmatively. "That was the plan." He says, glancing over at Marti apologetically, but not saying anything.

It's clear that Mom and George have no idea about them being together.

I feel bad for them; especially since I was in that exact boat for a year with Derek.

We would hold hands under the kitchen table, steal kisses while doing dishes, pull each other into closets when we were having "family time" and felt the need to be near each other in a much closer matter.

We would kiss until our lips were swollen, slamming each other against the walls of the closet, giggling quietly and sharing secrets that only our siblings knew about it.

Even if we had to hide from our parents, we had fun doing it.

I really was in love with Derek Venturi when I was seventeen, and now, at almost 23, I knew that I still was in love with him.

Still very, very much in love with him.

If only I could come up with the right time to tell him.

-¤-

The Wilder family consists of replicas upon replicas of Andrew.

Except for Donnie, whom I am beginning to believe _must_ have been adopted.

They all showed up this afternoon on our front porch, and they have had yet to leave, no matter how many times Edwin has mentioned to them about great things that they could do in London and attempted to shoo them out of the house.

"So, Derek, are there any little secrets that Andrew should know about his Casey before the big day tomorrow?" one uncle asks, laughing.

Casey glances over at me from across the room and sends me a knowing look, a pleading look.

Oh, you mean that she fell in love with her stepbrother back in Grade 11 who loved her back just as hard? And then they proceeded to have sex and make out in each other's bedrooms this past week while she was playing the role of your beloved Andrew's "adoring fiancé"…apart from that, no, not really.

I shrug. "Nothing that I'm sure she hasn't already mentioned to Andrew." I say.

"Oh, you're not one of those fun, evil stepbrothers." An aunt says, nudging me.

No. I'm more like one of those pathetic, hopeless ex-boyfriends, actually.

I am in a _very_ uncomfortable state right now.

I stand up from the couch. "Excuse me." I say, before standing and making my way out of the living room.

Edwin whips around to face me, his eyes warning me to stay. I shrug at him and jog up the stairs, into my room.

My door is left open, however.

I kept my door open as if I was expecting something to happen.

And then I felt her presence. I could sense her walking down the hallway, she was probably wondering why the hell I had run off and left her with all of her fiancé's creepy, distant family members.

Just as her body passes by my door, my arms reach out and pull her in.

-♥-

Derek excuses himself from the living room, and I honestly can't blame him.

I glance back towards the kitchen, where Marti is watching with anger and sadness in her eyes as family members pester Donnie about what type of girls he should be marrying and what type he should be dating in college. Donnie politely responds to them, but I can tell that it's killing him inside to be talking about so many girls when he knows that Marti is standing not-so far away from him.

Marti shakes her head and glances up at me for a second, before turning and backing farther into the kitchen.

Donnie turns back to look at her momentarily and I see the same, saddened look cross his face.

Donnie's whole family is _just_ like Andrew. There is no way that they would handle him mentioning that he was deeply in love with his future sister-in-law's stepsister well.

I sigh, all I can think about is going upstairs and escaping from the insanity of Andrew's messed up family.

Edwin and Lizzie are sitting patiently on the couch, allowing Andrew's memory-slipping grandmother to tell them the story about how she met Andrew's grandfather, for the fifth time. The story had never been the same with each time she told it. Once, she was a nurse in the war and he was her wounded soldier. Next, she was a showgirl, and he had paid to watch her dance.

"…and that was when I realized that, yes, I was in love with that great film director that picked me up at the supermarket." The grandmother concludes, smiling sickly at Lizzie and Edwin before taking a sip out of her glass of brandy.

See? I'm not making this stuff up.

Andrew is heavily into a conversation with his grandfather, father, and uncle. So, I politely excuse myself from the living room and hurry upstairs.

Derek's bedroom door is open, as if he knew that I was coming.

Of course he knew I was coming. Derek knows me better than anyone on this planet. He knew that if he left, I would be soon to follow.

That's why I slow down as I pass by his bedroom door, waiting for the inevitable. Waiting for what I knew was going to happen, what I wanted to happen.

That's when Derek's arms reached out and wrapped themselves around me, pulling me inside his bedroom.

-¤-

We're not even completely into my bedroom and Casey's lips are already attached to mine, her arms wrapped around my neck tightly as I kick my bedroom door shut and we tumble onto my bed.

"I hate his family." She seethes, nipping and sucking at my neck before pressing her lips against mine again.

"Except for Donnie." I reply, flipping us over so that I am on top.

"Yeah," Casey agrees, "Donnie's good."

I let my hand escape into her tee shirt, running up her stomach until resting against her bra.

She lets a moan escape her lips, but soon a smile is spreading.

"I feel like we're in high school again." I whisper from where I hover above her, leaning down to scatter kisses across her neck while she giggles from underneath me.

She nods. "Me too. And we're not even together now."

_Oh…_

My body tenses and I fall over her, lying beside her on the bed. "Well, _that_ killed the moment."

Casey sighs and sits up in my bed. "Derek, I'm sorry…"

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it." I say, rolling off of the bed. I run my hands through my hair and say the one thing that I never expected to say to Casey McDonald. "You're off the hook."

She raises her eyebrows at me. "Pardon?"

"You're off the hook. I'm done trying to get you to fall back in love with me." I murmur.

"Derek…" she starts, staring at me with hurt in her eyes.

"No, that's it. I'm done." I say, putting my hands up in defeat.

Casey rolls off of my bed and stares at me in disbelief. "So that's it."

I nod slowly. "Yeah, that's it."

She nods, backing away from the door. Only one word escapes her lips before she hurries out the door.

"Okay."

-♥-

Derek's done trying.

Derek Venturi is actually done _trying_.

It's been over 24 hours since our encounter in his bedroom, and I've done a pretty incredible job of avoiding him.

It is now me, my mom, Lizzie, and Marti, all situated in the living room indulging in my "bachelorette party". I've always hated the idea of these, especially when male strippers are involved.

Especially male strippers in firemen costumes.

Ew.

"Marti, sweetie, you've been distant all night." Mom says, glancing over towards Marti worriedly.

Marti was leaning sitting on the couch, checking her cell phone every two minutes; clearly for any new messages or calls that her not-on-silent phone had received without her hearing it, seeing it light up, or feeling it vibrate against her.

"I'm fine." She says softly, flipping her phone open and shut twice more before sitting it against her flat stomach and sighing.

Last night, while Andrew's family was all heading out to dinner, Donnie hung back to find Marti.

I found the two of them in the kitchen. Marti's face was pressed against his chest and he had his arms wrapped around her tightly. She looked as if she were crying. The only thing I heard from their conversation was:

"I hate sneaking around." Marti cried against him.

"I know; I do too." Donnie replied, rubbing his hands across her back.

"And they're going to hate me when they find out. Your parents, I mean. There's no way that they'll let us be together." Marti sniffled.

"Who cares?" Donnie asked quietly.

Marti glanced up at him and he smiled back down at her, mouthing the words that were as easy to comprehend (and read, in my case; thank God for good diction) as the alphabet: "I Love You".

"You've been acting strange since yesterday, Marti. What's wrong?" Mom asks.

Lizzie and I both stare at Marti in question, wondering if she'll actually fess up.

Marti glances up at my mom, with small tears in her eyes and she sighs. "I'm in love with Donnie Wilder." She simply states, not a glance of worry, confusion, or fear in her eyes about telling my mother.

My mom doesn't yell, her jaw doesn't drop, and she doesn't stare at Marti in surprise.

Actually, my mom _smiles_.

My mom smiles and leans over towards Marti, pulling her into a tight hug.

Okay, wow.

Just imagine if she would have acted like that when Derek and I wondered about telling her about us.

But, I knew she wouldn't. Not when it was like this.

Marti and Donnie were sweet, innocent, _perfect_ for each other. Clearly, anybody could see that, including my mother.

I sigh and Lizzie sends me an expectant look, as if she is expecting me to tell my mom about me and Derek.

Ha, yeah, right.

-¤-

"So, that's it?" Amy asks in surprise.

Amy, Daniel, Sam, Edwin, and I are all sitting on the floor of Sam's apartment, eating out of takeout containers.

I nod slowly. "That's it."

"I can't believe you're giving up that easy." Daniel says in disbelief.

Sam snorts. "He isn't."

What?

Three pairs of eyes all turn towards him.

Sam rolls his eyes. "I'm serious. Derek isn't done with Casey."

"And how would you know that?" I scoff.

Sam shrugs, smiling sheepishly. "Because I know you, and I know that with you, nothing is ever as it seems. Everything always has an ulterior motive."

Amy whips her head towards me. "I know everything about you, how could I not sense that you had an ulterior motive?" she sits her takeout container on the floor and shakes my shoulders. "What is happening to our friendship?!" she cries out over dramatically.

We both break into grins and I realize that that is the first time that I have actually smiled since the Casey incident in my bedroom yesterday.

Edwin laughs, popping an egg-roll into his mouth. "He has a point. Nothing with Derek is simple, it's always complex."

Sam nods in agreement towards Edwin, the two sharing a knowing look.

How dare they?

"I actually don't have an ulterior motive planned." I say triumphantly, glaring over towards Sam and Edwin, narrowing my eyes into little slits.

Sam simply shakes his head at me, chuckling. "Bullshit."

-♥-

Mom is asleep by eleven o'clock. She kisses me on the forehead before she retires downstairs, wishing me luck for my big day tomorrow.

Oh, right, my wedding.

My wedding is tomorrow.

I'm marrying Andrew _tomorrow_.

This is all happening _far_ too fast for my liking.

The thunder roars outside and lightening flashes, causing a white streak to flash across the living room.

Lizzie sighs. "So, this is it." She says slowly.

I nod. "Yep. This time tomorrow and I'll be Mrs. Casey Wilder." I say softly.

"Not necessarily." Marti murmurs, she is half asleep and sitting on Derek's recliner.

I glance towards her, "What?"

"There's still time, Casey." She mutters.

"Derek gave up, remember?"

Marti rolls her eyes. "He said he was going to stop _trying_, that he was going to stop coming to you. But you just say the word and he's yours, you know that." She lets out a large yawn and her eyes slowly begin to droop. She has an end-of-the-world pout on her face, and her eyes have a saddened glaze across them. Clearly, Donnie has yet to call or text her and it's killing her.

However, Marti's right.

This isn't over.

This thing with Derek and I is absolutely _not_ over.

"You're right." I say, standing up from the floor.

"Casey, what are you doing?" Lizzie asks curiously as I grab my purse from where it is hanging on the coat rack.

Just then, Marti's phone lights up and her face follows closely behind. She jolts up from the chair and suddenly, she's awake. Her face breaks out in a grin as she reads over the text message that is clearly from Donnie.

"See?" I say, gesturing towards Marti, who is rapidly hitting the keys on her cell phone, any sadness that was on her face is visibly gone. "There_ is_ still hope."

I am still thinking that as I climb into my rental car, and I am still thinking that as I drive across London to get to Sam's apartment, and I am still thinking that when I park in Sam's parking lot. It's only after I run through the rain and into the apartment complex that I really realize that I have no idea why the hell I'm here.

-¤-

"See you guys." I gesture towards my friends, who have all decided to go meet up with Ralphie and Sheldon at the pub. They said that they would drop Edwin off for me at home; who objected endlessly about not being able to go to the bar with "the big kids" (as Amy had referred to them).

They, of course, had asked me to come along, but I wasn't feeling up to it. Because, I was still stuck on that ulterior motive thing.

It means that I know that something is going to happen upon what is expected to happen.

And if that's truly going to happen, then I need to stay right here at this apartment.

I flop down on the couch after my three friends leave and flip through the channels.

It is when I settle on an old rerun of "Home Improvement" that I hear a knock at Sam's door.

My body jolts up and I stand up from the couch, the remote that was in my hand tumbles to the floor, the batteries fall out of it, and one rolls under the TV stand, the other, simply rolls on until it hits the back wall.

I make my way to the front door and swing it open.

Standing in front of me is a drenched Casey with mascara smeared down her cheeks in long, jagged lines; her clothes sticking to her body and becoming transparent. And yet, she still looks beautiful.

She will _always_ look beautiful.

"Casey…" I say confusingly, staring her up and down.  
I know that Sam had said something about me having an ulterior motive.

But _this_ was not what I expected. Not at all.

She lets out a quaky breath and stares me straight in the eye. "I don't want to be let off the hook."

And that was all it took for me to capture her in my arms and haul her into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind us.

-♥-

**Ta-da!**

**Okay, so I'm sorry to say that the next chapter after this will be the final chapter (sniffles).**

**So, thank you in advance for all for all of the incredible reviews! I love each and everyone of you, thank you!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	22. The Return of the Sun Chips

_**Although we've come to the end of the road…**_**lol**

**Well, guys, this is it; the final chapter of ****Think Twice**

**I grew impatient (again) and just had to post it, so once again, it's a very fast update…haha.**

**I knew there was a reason why I didn't write so many chapters in a row…lmao.**

**This story has almost 800 reviews currently, and I have you guys to thank for that. Each and every one of you is truly AMAZING. Thank you SO much for all the support and reviews! I'm so sad that it's over, though! I had a blast writing this story!**

**-**

**No news on the podcast (still), but I hope to have some by the time the sequel (or prelude, depending on how you look at it) of this fan fiction is posted; which will probably be early October or so.**

**-**

**Just a question, any of you guys watch Gossip Girl on the CW Wednesday night? Because it was absolutely AMAZING (as was America's Next Top Model!). Penn Badgley is so, so beautiful. Lmao**

**-**

**ANYWAYS, without further adieu, here is the final chapter of ****Think Twice**

**-**

**Enjoy!**

**-**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**

**-¤-**

**Chapter 22**

**-♥-**

I told Derek that I love him.

Derek knows that I still love him.

It happened last night, when we were in the midst of rolling around on top of the air mattress he was sleeping on.

My damp shirt was tossed to the floor, leaving my body freezing in just a bra and sweat pants, completely drenched from the rain. Luckily, Derek was hovering above me, helping to keep my body warm.

Derek ran his hand down my cheek and smiled at me, dazed. "You're beautiful, Case." He had whispered softly.

Andrew told me that all the time, but it never felt quite as amazing as it did when Derek told me. When Andrew said it, it didn't make my heart want to beat its way out of my chest like it did when Derek told me.

Derek's shirt was strewn onto the floor, along with his undershirt and his belt. His reddish-brown hair was shaggy and sticking up in odd places as he kept his arms firmly wrapped around me, his eyes pouring into my own and not breaking contact.

Tears were stinging my eyes as I stared up at him, my breathing heavily.

I knew what was going to happen between us in just a mere matter of moments, and I was ready for it to happen. It wouldn't be urgent like it was last time, this time it would be slower, and romantic. It would be sweet and pure and perfect, just like it was our first time together.

His hands played with the waist band of my sweatpants before slowly pulling them down, kissing the newly exposed skin right below my belly button. My hand rested delicately on his shoulder, and I saw his eyes glance over towards the sparkling object on my finger, causing him to freeze.

I knew that being with him like this was wrong. I was engaged to a guy who's never done anything wrong, who's never done anything to hurt me, a guy who _loves_ me. My eyes shift towards my ring as well and his eyes retreat back to me. I turned my focus back to him and sigh, leaning up farther to be closer towards him.

"I love you, Derek." I whispered before closing the gap between our lips.

He broke the kiss and stared down at me, as if searching my eyes to figure if what I said was really the truth.

I gulped and stared back up at him, now holding no more secrets.

"You really do." He said softly.

I nodded, pressing my lips against him once more before we tumbled back against the sheets. "I really do."

I sigh and glance over towards Derek, where he is now sleeping peacefully beside me, a smile playing at his lips and his arms wrapped around my body, locking me against him.

The sun is beaming overhead at us, casting a burst of light to be spread across the bed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a folded up piece of paper sitting on the couch.

I open it up and recognize Sam's neat-as-a-pin handwriting in a second.

_Hey Lovebirds,_

_Not waking you two up. I'm grabbing my things and heading over to my girlfriend's place._

_You kids have fun now…haha_

_-Sam_

I smile slightly and sit the paper back down on the couch.

This could work. I could be with Derek like this, just the two of us, lying in bed together. We could do what we had dreamt about doing since high school.

That's when I notice the shiny, sparkling object on my finger and I am hurled back into reality.

Today is my _wedding _day. This is the morning of my wedding and I am spending it in my ex-boyfriend's bed, wearing nothing but one of his button-down shirts.

I have to decide.

I can't keep playing ping pong back and forth between Derek and Andrew. I have to choose. And if last night's actions have anything to do with my decision, than my decision is so very clear.

I sit up in the bed, letting loose from Derek's hold on me, and I sigh. I am just beginning to stand up when I feel Derek's hand on my wrist.

"You're not getting away that easily, Case." He mumbles and I find myself laughing. I lay back down beside and turn to face him, smiling softly.

"Hey." I say quietly.

He smirks. "Hey." He says, leaning into press a soft kiss on my lips.

I keep my eyes closed past the kiss and sigh. "Today's my wedding day." I whisper.

Derek sighs, turning on his back so that he is staring up at the ceiling; a look of hurt in his brown eyes. "What are you going to do?" he asks in a barely audible tone.

"I don't know." I whisper in reply.

He chuckles dryly, turning his head to face me. "Don't you think you should be deciding that pretty soon, Case?"

I gulp, a tear stinging in my eye. "You have no idea how hard this is for me, Derek."

"It shouldn't have to be hard, Casey." Derek tosses back, turning to face me. "Me or Andrew, it's simple. Just quit leading one of us on for God's sake."

I sigh, the tear finally breaking free from my eye and trickling down my cheek.

On instinct, Derek reaches over to wipe the tear away from my cheek. "I love you, Case. So much."

"I know." I say in a shaky voice.

"And no matter how you choose, it's always going to be you for me, Case. Always."

"God, stop it." I say, sitting up from the bed and wiping the tears from my eyes away with the sleeve of his shirt. "Stop being like that, you're just making it harder."

Derek doesn't reply, simply rakes his hands through his hair.

I stare down at him, waiting for a response that I don't receive.

Standing up from the bed, I pull on my underwear and sweat pants and quickly toss off Derek's shirt, dropping it at his feet on the bed.

That's when I feel Derek's arms wrapping around my waist, pressing against my bare stomach, and pulling me back against him. "You're not getting married _just_ yet." He whispers huskily.

I turn towards him and see the playful smile on his face, the expression in his eyes that reads like a young boy, and that's all it takes for me to fall back against his bed, back into his arms.

-¤-

"Have a good wedding." I say softly towards her, kissing her softly on the temple as we stand at my door, my heart shattering.

I had gone to take a shower after our second (or fourth, depending on how you look at it) excursion, and by the time I had gotten back, she was fully clothed and sitting on the couch.

Casey glances up at me with sorrow-filled eyes. "Don't say that." She whispers.

"I don't know what else to say, Case."

She shakes her head at me. "Then don't say anything." She says before kissing me on the cheek and slowly walking out the door of the apartment. "Goodbye Derek." She says softly before turning and making her way down the hallway.

I stand at my door frame as she makes her way to the elevator, pressing the button and giving me one final look.

It takes all that I have within me to not chase after her in the hallway and haul her back into the apartment, kissing her and making love with her endlessly.

She sighs as the doors open, and keeps her eyes fixed on me as she steps inside the elevator. The doors close behind her saddened face

I consider taking the stairs and meeting her downstairs, enveloping her in a kiss and begging her to stay, to not leave and get married. But I don't.

I simply walk back into my apartment and kick my door shut with my foot; slightly similar to the way I had last night when I had Casey in my arms. I liked it better when I did it last night.

I try to shake the memory from last night out of my head, but it proves to be an impossibly task.

I sit down on my couch and rest my head in my hands.

I hope she's happy, I really do.

I just wish that it was _me_ that she'd be happy with, not Andrew.

That's when I see something shimmering out of the corner of my eye.

"What the…?" I whisper towards myself, checking to see what the object was.

That's when my heart powers up, hammering heavily in my chest.

Because Casey's engagement ring is sitting on my pillow, with a note beside it.

I gulp and pick up the note.

All that's on the piece of paper is a heart.

That's all, just a small, simple heart.

And I know her decision.

-♥-

I spend the better percentage of my day driving aimlessly around London, trying to clear my head. I finally roll into the parking lot of Jovial Gardens at 5:20 PM. I pull open my car door and throw it shut, stepping inside the building and gulping.

I see flowers _everywhere_, flowers that Andrew and I selected together. I see pictures of us together scattered around the check in table that has rose pedals sprinkled all over it.

I sigh and step into my dressing area. Mom, Lizzie, and Marti are all sitting inside of the room. Lizzie and Marti on the couch, Mom pacing.

"Casey, where have you been?" my mom shrieks as I step inside the dressing room. "You're getting married in _forty _minutes! You've had your phone shut off, and you are nowhere near ready to even start getting _ready_ for this wedding!"

I sniff, staring up at my mom with wide, tearful eyes and no makeup. "That because I'm not getting married, Mom."

Lizzie and Marti's heads pop up.

"Really?!" Marti squeals, a grin illuminating my face.

"Casey-" my mom says softly, eyeing me confusingly. "What are you talking about?"

"At least, not to Andrew." I continue. "And certainly not today."

My mom rubs her lips together and sighs, taking a seat on a nearby chair while I sit myself on the stool in front of the large vanity dresser that is covered with various make-ups and hair supplies.

"It's Derek, isn't it?" my mom asks quietly.

My heart skips a few beats.

What? How would she even begin to guess that? My mom never knew about Derek and I being together, _ever_.

I glance towards Lizzie and Marti, and notice that their faces are holding equally shocked expressions.

"Mom, how would you-"

"Casey," my mom cuts me off, laughing slightly. "We've always known, you guys aren't the greatest at keeping things stealth, no matter how hard the two of you tried."

I shake my head at her in surprise. "Mom…"

"And the thing is, that you can't help who you fall in love with." She laughs despite herself, gesturing towards Lizzie and Marti. "Just look at your sisters. Look at who _they_ fell in love with."

I glance over towards Marti and Lizzie and laugh as I watch Marti texting with a smile on your face. It's clear what she's telling him.

Especially since just moments later, there is a knock at the door.

Marti jumps up from the couch and hurried to the door, pulling it open as Donnie is on the other side, hugging her against him tightly.

Donnie glances up at me, a thankful, over-joyous expression twinkling in his eyes. "Sorry things didn't work out." He says, but he doesn't look sorry. He looks the complete opposite of apologetic, with the widened smile on his face and the girl with her arms wrapped tightly around him.

Lizzie smiles and turns to me. "Looks like you're free to be with who you want to be with."

I smile and sigh as Marti and Donnie stumble out of the dressing room, their lips attached to each other.

"Do you think you could send Andrew in here?" I ask weakly.

My mom nods and she and Lizzie stand.

Mom walks over towards me and wraps her arms around me tightly. "I love you, Casey. And whoever you're with, so long as you're happy, I'm happy."

"Thanks Mom." I say softly as she and Lizzie make their way out of the dressing room.

I sigh and turn to face my mirror, staring at the face in front of me.

So, I won't be spending tonight as Casey Wilder and spending it with Andrew in a hotel.

I will be spending it as Casey McDonald, in an apartment with Derek Venturi. And that made me smile.

There was a tapping at my door. "Casey, baby?" Andrew asked from the other side.

I stand up, and gulp, making my way towards the door. "You can come in." I say softly.

"No, I can't." he responds. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"Not if you're not actually getting married, it's not." I throw back.

I hear silence, and then the door opening.

Andrew sends me a deadpanned, shocked expression. "What?"

"Andrew, sit down." I say, gesturing him towards the couch.

I sit beside him and glance towards him, sighing. "I haven't been fair to you." I say softly. "I've been parading around as your fiancé, acting like my entire heart was owned by you, but in reality, it hasn't been."

Andrew stares down at his shoes, blinking.

"And I'm sorry about that." I whisper. "I'm _so_ sorry. It's just, I can't pretend-"

"You and Derek, huh?" Andrew cuts me off.

HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW THIS?!

I turn towards him, confused. "How did you-"

"It doesn't take an Ivy League grad to figure it out, Case. I've seen the way you guys look at each other, and constantly try to make each other jealous. It was obvious that there was something there."

I sigh and blink my eyes a few times. "I'm sorry, Andrew."

"It's okay." He says with a shrug. "I mean, you two are practically related, which is mildly disturbing, but it's not something that you should feel the need to have to apologize about."

I turn towards him and give him a weak smile, pulling him into a hug. "You're a great guy, Andrew."

He gives me a small smile as we break apart. "Just not for you." He says.

I nod slowly, "Yeah."

He laughs shaking his head. "It's not like this'll be the last time we ever see each other again. I'm sure we'll see each other at family get-togethers."

I eye him confusingly. "What?"

"I saw Marti and Donnie kissing in the lobby when your mom came to find me." He says with a weak shrug. "So, I'll see you at Christmas?" he asks, laughing.

I smile, laughing as well. "See you at Christmas."

He gives me a soft kiss on the cheek and stands up from the couch, slowly backing his way towards the open door. "Tell Derek he's a really lucky guy, okay? Because he truly is." He says before turning and making his way out of the dressing room.

I sigh and throw myself back on the couch, inhaling deeply.

My relationship with Andrew Wilder was over.

And my relationship with Derek Venturi is just moments away from starting all over again.

Just as I am standing up from the couch, I hear two sets of footsteps entering my dressing room.

I turn around and find myself face to face with Amy and Daniel.

"It took forever to find this place." Daniel says, breathing heavily.

Amy makes her way towards me, "Hi, Casey." She says softly, holding out a hand to me. "I'm Amy Hunter, and this is my _real_ love of my life, Daniel Hunter."

I give her a weak smile. "Hi, Amy."

She smiles in return. "I just wanted to apologize about these past two weeks. Derek just didn't know what to do. He just wanted to come up with some way to get you to be back in his arms and not somebody else's. So he enlisted me as his accomplice. But I swear, that he means well."

"Amy, it's okay." I say quickly.

Amy's head perks up. "It is?"

I nod, laughing. "You can't always expect Derek to think before he acts."

Daniel snorts, "Isn't that the truth?" he says before laughing.

Amy smiles towards him before turning back to me and smiling softly. "He really loves you though, Casey."

I nod. "I know."

"And I know that you're about to go off and get married to Andrew, but I just thought you should know that and…wait, you _know_?" she asks, eyeing me in surprise.

I nod, laughing. "And if you haven't noticed all of the spaz attacks that are going on outside right now, it's because the news hasn't circulated thoroughly yet."

She sends me a confused look. "What?"

"Andrew and I called off our engagement." I respond.

Amy squeals. "Really?! That's great!" she says, throwing her arms around me. She breaks apart quickly, "Unless, of course, you had nothing to do with that and you're really heartbroken right now."

I shake my head. "I called it off."

"That's great!" she squeals again, pulling me in for another hug.

I laugh, breaking away from her. "Now, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I really need to see Derek right now."

Amy nods quickly, a smile illuminating her face. "No, no, most definitely."

I smile at them before making my way out of the dressing room.

"Casey." Daniel calls after me.

I turn to face him and see the smile on his face as he wraps his arm around Amy's waist. "Good luck."

-¤-

I am twirling Casey's engagement ring around my fingers, staring inside at the engraving.

_Casey Natacia_ is what it reads.

No way. He seriously spelled her middle name wrong.

That dumbass.

Sam had called earlier, saying that he was going to be staying the night at his girlfriend's house, again. Which left the house to me…and hopefully Casey.

I glance at the neon clock on the cable box, it is 6:05.

Casey's either in the process of walking down the aisle, or she's-

My train of thought is cut off abruptly by a knock at my door.

I gulp and stand up, my heart hammering as I open up the door.

Standing before me is a beaming, breathless Casey.

And in her hands is a bag of Sun Chips.

"I only bought one bag." She says quickly, the smile on her face not able to wipe off. "I figured you'd be mature enough to share."

I smile down at her. "So, this is it."

She nods, throwing her arms around my shoulders tightly. "This is it."

"Well, in that case," I say, yanking the bag of Sun Chips out of her hands. "Thanks for the chips."

Her jaw drops and she chases me into the apartment. "Der-_ek_!" she squeals jokingly.

She tackles me onto the couch and hovers over me. "I'll give you a kiss for the chips." She bargains, smirking at me.

I shake my head. "It's going to take more than that, Casey."

"Two kisses." She concludes.

I shake my head.

"Fine, my hand in marriage." She jokes, smirking at me.

I grin, handing her over the bag. "Deal."

She smiles, rolling off of the couch and onto the floor. "But you're going to have to get me a new engagement ring." She states. "One that actually has my middle name spelled correctly."

"Done," I say, beaming. "But right now, I have other things in mind." I say before crawling off of the couch and toppling over her, pressing my lips against hers urgently.

She giggles against my lips. "Good things in mind."

I laugh in return as I press another kiss on her lips, our bodies spread haphazardly between the couch and the floor. "_Very_ good things in mind."

---------

-------------

---------

_Derek and Casey wound up getting an apartment together over the summer and he did eventually buy her an engagement ring. But, seeing as he may have not known _just_ how to spell her middle name, he simply put a heart inside the ring, just a simple heart. Haha, just kidding, Derek. I'm sure you know how to spell her middle name._

_And now, as I sit here, blogging to all of you people of the inter-web (Say Anything circa "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too", look it up), you're all probably wondering why I find the story of Derek Venturi and Casey McDonald's romance so intriguing._

_And in actuality, it's because most people find me to be one of Derek's biggest fans, and that's because I am. And as I lay here, on my boyfriend's bed in his dorm room in Toronto, all I can think is that Derek and Casey have the second best romance possible. _

_It comes in second, of course, to my own._

_-_

_XOX,_

"Marti." 15-year-old Marti Venturi finishes out loud, hitting the "post" button and closing the lid to her laptop, sitting it down on the floor.

Donnie Wilder smirks at her from where he is sitting at his computer desk. "Done idolizing your brother?" he asks, laughing, standing up and making his way over towards her.

Marti smiles at her boyfriend, standing up. "For now."

Donnie grins and pulls her into a hug as the two of them topple back against his bed. "Good." He says with a laugh as he lightly presses a kiss to her pink lips.

"So, you're roommate won't be back for another few hours, correct?" Marti asks, lacing her hands around his neck and smiling up at him.

Donnie smirks, "That would be correct."

Marti grins devilishly and pulls him into another kiss. "Good deal."

"Wow," Donnie says, breaking apart from her and mockingly smiling down upon her. "We can get sexual too."

Marti slugs him and laughs. "Shut up! That is the last time I _ever_ read you one of my blogs."

"Don't you love me at all?" Donnie asks jokingly before pulling her into another kiss, this one deeper. Marti smiles against his lips, wrinkling her nose as he leans up and presses a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, smiling back at her.

And as the pair fall back against the bed in a series of kisses, caresses, and laughter, all that love-struck Marti can hope for is that she and Donnie end up as happy as her brother and step-sister.

You know, without that whole drunken-best friend, dorky-fiancé thing.

-¤-

**Ta-da!**

**Well, thank you so much for all of the reviews throughout this story, you guys are AMAZING!**

**Could you believe that I seriously wrote the final four chapters of this story within a day of each other?**

**I am very much proud of myself…haha**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love each and every one of you!**

**A sequel for this story is already in the works, and it will be a back-story centered around a couple in this story that, based on the large amount of reviews about them, grew to be a favorite.**

**If that doesn't give you enough of an answer about what the story is going to be, the title of the story is as followed: "Donnie and the Martster".**

**So, be sure to look for it!**

**Thanks for EVERYTHING, you guys! You're truly the best! **

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**_

**-degrassichick :)**


	23. Podcast and Sequel News!

**HEY YOU GUYS:)**

**Okay, so I totally should have posted this, like, yesterday, but I forgot. Haha.**

**Anyways, the sequel/spin-off to Think Twice has officially been posted:)**

**It's called "Donnie & the Martster", so clearly you can guess who it's about. Haha**

**As for podcast news, it should be released in about…12 weeks now. Apparently, they're behind a few episodes, so it's no longer a fall release :(**

**I just wanted to say thank you SO much to everybody who reviewed this story, you brought it to almost 850 reviews! I love you guys :)**

**Be sure to check out Donnie & the Martster:)**

**Peace, Love, & Cheerios!**

**-degrassichick :)**


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